Kingswood man downloaded and shared child abuse images


A former labourer who shared child abuse images has been spared immediate jail.
Wayne Jefferson explored the dark web after being struck down by illness, Bristol Crown Court heard on July 24.
Police found he downloaded a small number of abuse images and shared some to a like-minded individual.
The 54-year-old, of Anchor Road in Kingswood, pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children and two charges of distributing them.
Judge William Hart handed him a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.
He told Jefferson: “People who view indecent images of children somehow feel separate from the reality of what they are looking at.
“In fact each indecent image is a child being sexually abused by someone, somewhere.
“Courts feel they are fighting a battle against that trade.
“It is almost certainly a losing battle.”
Jefferson was handed a 16-week curfew to stay at home from 9pm to 6am.
He was also ordered to have up to 30 days’ rehabilitation, register as a sex offender for 10 years, and abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order designed to stop him re-offending.
Caighli Taylor, prosecuting, said police investigating another man found messages to Jefferson and they visited him.
An examination of his mobile phone revealed 56 images deemed to be in the highest Category A level of concern. He also had 80 in Category B and 207 in lowest Category C. Some 171 images had been deleted and were inaccessible.
Children involved were as young as two, the court heard.