A married man was caught in possession of indecent images including one involving a baby, a court heard.
John Edward Nutter, of Booth Road, Waterfoot, downloaded 203 images between 2014 and 2017 and also engaged in ‘peculiar and worrying’ sex chat on social media over a seven-year period, the hearing was told.

The 54-year-old was caught after Yahoo discovered his online activity and reported him to the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Lisa Worsley said the National Crime Agency was then informed and officers executed a warrant at his home in April 2017.

The court heard how officers seized a laptop, desktop computer and two mobile phones containing 13 category A images – the most serious – 20 category B and 170 category C.

Miss Worsley said the most explicit images involving a young girl and another of a baby.

She told the court: “In interview he admitted the email address was his and while using a chat room indecent images of children popped up from time to time.

“He said he always clicked off them straight away and ended the chat.”

The court was told how Nutter also engaged in explicit sex chat with other perverts on Skype, including expressing an interest in teenage boys.

She said: “I’m cognisant of the fact that in his pre-sentence report he says this is pure fantasy.

Nevertheless he does fantasize such peculiar and worrying things.”

Nutter pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images and was given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 18 months, with a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years.

Judge Andrew Jefferies QC said Nutter’s ‘dirty little secret is no longer’.

Sentencing, he said: “It’s important to realise that if people like you don’t look at [indecent images] then chances are people will stop making them and a whole number of children around the world would not be abused.”