Sunderland sex offender caught with illegal images for third time

Police found an extreme pornography photograph featuring an adult engaged in a sex act with a dog and two cartoons, featuring children, when they searched David Armstrong's laptop on July 24 2020.

Newcastle Crown Court heard he asked "oh, is that illegal" and confessed "cartoons had got him into trouble before" during the inspection.

The officers had attended his home for a routine check to ensure he was complying with the terms of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The order was imposed after he was jailed in 2015 for having illegal images.

He has a similar conviction from 2011, when he was given a suspended prison sentence.

The 74-year-old, of Eglinton Street, Sunderland, admitted possessing extreme pornography and possessing pseudo images of children in relation to the most recent offences.

Jamie Adams, defending, said Armstrong, who had been viewing Japanese animation pornography, has made efforts to change his lifestyle and has stayed out of trouble since the offences, almost two years ago.

Judge Stephen Earl sentenced him to a community order for three years with programme and rehabilitation requirements.

Armstrong must abide by a curfew for six months.

He will be on the sex offenders register and was given a new sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

Judge Earl warned Armstrong he is in "last chance saloon" and any further offending could result in him spending his senior years behind bars.

The judge told him: "I am giving you an opportunity to make the changes you need to make to ensure you don't offend again."