Mold,North Wales - Former Mold man admits downloading 463 indecent images of children

Published date: 03 June 2016 | 

Published by: David Humphreys
Read more articles by David Humphreys

A WEB designer who possessed a significant number of illegal images of children has been spared jail.

Kraig Bennett Johnson, previously of Mold, but now living in Railway Terrace, Ruthin, received an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to eight charges of making and possessing indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Jade Tufail told Mold Crown Court at a sentencing hearing yesterday that Johnson’s offending began as a curiosity but became an obsession.

Miss Tufail said police executed a search warrant at his then home in Mold on July 21, 2015. Computers were seized and later analysed and it was found he had downloaded indecent images and movies of children.

There were 463 images – one at the most serious category A, one at category B and 461 at category C. Police also found 172 movies – 112 at category A.

Images and videos featured children as young as seven. Anti-forensic software had been used to hide the images.

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Miss Tufail said Johnson, 44, had claimed to have also used file sharing software to download feature films.

Alun Williams, defending, said his client was a married man with no previous convictions. He had shown genuine remorse and taken steps to address his offending behaviour, including voluntary attendance on a course run by a foundation. 

Mr Williams said Johnson had remarked it was ‘a relief’ and he had changed his vocation in an effort to reduce the possibility of offending again.

As a result of the offence Johnson’s marriage had broken down.

Passing sentence, Judge Rhys Rowlands said Johnson had possessed a significant number of images and videos including a large number of category A films.

Judge Rowlands said Johnson displayed ‘depraved behaviour’ and the nature of the images as well as the ages of the children had been an aggravating feature.

Johnson will now take part in the internet sex offenders programme over two years and pay a £1,000 fine, £340 costs and a £100 victim surcharge. He must also register as a sex offender for 10 years.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/162810/former-mold-man-admits-downloading-463-indecent-images-of-children.aspx