Child abuse images pervert tried to destroy seven years’ worth of evidence



A pervert who spent seven years downloading child sexual abuse images tried to destroy evidence as police executed a search warrant at his home in Leeds.

Christopher Scaife accessed sickening violent abusive images of children aged as young as two years old.

Leeds Crown Court heard the 54-year-old did his ‘level best’ to destroy evidence of his years of offending when police attended his home on Oak Royd, Garforth.
West Yorkshire Police officers managed to get into the property and seized a laptop and hard drives.

David Gordon, prosecuting, said a total of 2,622 indecent images of children were recovered.

Mr Gordon said 111 images and videos were at category A – the most serious level of offending.

The images featured children aged between two and 16 years of age.

Images were recovered of a child which appeared to be distressed and in pain.

The court heard the offending took place between 2009 and 2017.

The defendant pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Scaife was given a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also made subject to a 10-year sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: “Every time you clicked a link, a real child suffered real harm for your sexual pleasure.”

“Every image you have looked at is of a child being abused.
“When the police came knocking on your door you would not let them in and you did your level best to destroy evidence.”