Warehouse worker caught with hundreds of child abuse images keeps freedom

Bradley Parker stored 641 illegal images and movies, featuring children as young as one-year-old, on his phone handset and cloud storage facility.

Newcastle Crown Court he also had five extreme pornography images, one picture and five movies, involving animals, including horses.

Prosecutor Emma Dowling said a conversation app was installed on Parker's phone, which contained a chat with another user and demonstrated "an interest in the abuse of children and also in extreme pornography".

The court heard one extreme pornography image had been sent from Parker's phone to the other user over the app.

During police interview Parker said the conversations on the app were "fantasy" and said he had no sexual interest in children.

Parker, 28, formerly of James Terrace, Houghton, who is currently suspended from his job, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornography.

The court heard the images were across all three categories of seriousness.

Annalisa Moscardini, defending, said Parker, who has now sought counselling, was struggling with mounting personal problems at the time of the offences.

Miss Moscardini added: "There is a lot of work he needs to do, he accepts that."

Judge Edward Bindloss said he had received a letter from Parker's former partner, which outlined a deterioration in his mental health at the time of the offences.

The judge sentenced Parker, to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and 100 hours unpaid work.

Parker must abide by a sexual harm prevention order and sign the sex offenders register for ten years.