A SOUTH Yorkshire dad who downloaded child porn and then superimposed the faces of children he knew onto the naked bodies of exploited youngsters is today facing ruin and public shame.
Doncaster Crown Court heard James Gilbert Toon - who narrowly avoided jail after admitting making and possessing indecent images on his home computer - could also lose his top job as general manager of the world's largest Mercedes dealership in Abu Dhabi.
The 37-year-old dad of two's £200,000 home in Howden Close, Bessacarr, near Doncaster is already up for sale.
Prosecutor Carl Fitch said Toon's house was raided in June 2008 after Doncaster police were tipped off by a child exploitation agency that he was subscribing to a child pornography website.
His computer tower was seized and analysts discovered 250 still and moving images of child pornography with some at the worst level, although most had been deleted.
Mr Fitch said some of the images had been created by copying photographs of six children he knew and using software to manipulate their faces and paste them onto the bodies of girls engaged in sexual acts.
All the children he knew had since been made aware of what Toon had done with their pictures.
Toon's solicitor, Cedric Hennis, told the court most of the images had been deleted by him in 2006, 18 months before he was arrested, and the material had not been shared with others or distributed.
He said: "He has made a full confession to all matters against him and expresses his regret because he recognises he has done wrong. He has been severely shaken by the proceedings because he was a man of good character, holding down a job with great responsibility, and his family are supportive."
Mrs Toon submitted a letter of support to the judge and Mr Hennis said both his children were aware of what their father had done but there was still "a great bond between them".
Toon committed the offences while he was at home in England on leave from his job at the Emirates Motor Company in Abu Dhabi, where he has more than 50 people working for him. Before the case came to court he had not informed the company of his crimes.
He pleaded guilty to 12 specimen offences of making and possessing indecent images on his home computer.
Toon's wife, Sally, was in court to hear what he had confessed to doing.
Judge Graham Robinson told Toon: "If it were not for paedophiles such as you there would be no incentive for those in the front line of child pornography to abuse children in the first place."
Judge Robinson said if he sent Toon straight to prison he would not receive treatment to stop him offending.
He added: "While I must mark the gravity of these offences with a 12 month custodial sentence I am going to suspend it for two years so that I can compel you to attend the sex offenders programme."
Got a view? Leave your comment below.Buy The Star - Monday to Saturday - for local news, sport, features and ads. To subscribe CLICK HEREREAD MOREMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport