James Smith: Judge condemns Sheffield man who downloaded child abuse images involving kids as young as three
A judge has condemned a Sheffield man who downloaded child abuse images of kids as young as three.
The judge told 26-year-old James Smith: “Without people like yourself seeking to view them there would not be a market for this despicable trade in the abuse of young children.”
Police raided Smith’s home after receiving information, and seized electronic devices including a Samsung telephone and a computer.
The phone was found to contain 18 indecent images of children Category A, the most serious of the legal categories involving penetrative sexual abuse.
It also contained 39 Category B images and 49 Category C images along with three prohibited images, prosecutor Mark Bates told Sheffield Crown Court on September 16, 2025.
Handing Smith a suspended sentence, Judge Michael Slater told him: “If you didn’t realise at the time, there is misery occasioned to the subjects of these photographs.”
“Without people like yourself seeking to view them there would not be a market for this despicable trade in the abuse of young children.
“What is particularly disturbing in this case is the young age of the children - between three and six-years-old, and the fact you did it for a reasonably protracted period of time.”
Mr Bates said Smith, of Cricket Inn Road, Wybourn, Sheffield, downloaded the images during a period running from September 9, 2020 through to November 9, 2022.
Smith was also found to have downloaded three prohibited images, and used search terms including “nude teens.”
Mr Bates said Smith was not interviewed by police until May 2024 -18 months on from his arrest in November 2022 - due to the amount of time it took for the contents of his phone to be analysed. The court also heard how police have still not analysed the contents of Smith’s laptop.
Smith answered “no comment” to all questions during the course of his police interview.
He was subsequently charged with, and pleaded guilty to, offences of making indecent images of children of Categories A, B and C.
Under the law, making indecent images of children can refer to the creation of a file after it has been downloaded from the internet.
Defending, Ella Fornsworth told the court that when Smith committed the offences he was aged between 21 and 23-years-old.
She continued: “He was experiencing significant difficulties at the time, he was living alone in a hostel for those who have found themself homeless, having been asked to leave his family home…he was struggling with alcohol addiction and his mental health.”
Ms Fornsworth continued by telling the court that in the almost three years since his arrest, Smith has made a number of changes in his life, resulting in him now having stable accommodation, being alcohol free and being back in contact with his family.
She suggested the changes mean the risk factors leading to his offending have now been removed, and he has a “realistic prospect of rehabilitation”.
Judge Slater sentenced Smith to 14 months’ custody, suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, along with 150 hours of unpaid work.
He told the defendant: “Having regard to your previous good character, and what I’ve read about you I’m persuaded I can suspend the sentence.
“Be under no illusion: if you don’t comply with the order you will be brought back to court in breach - and that will be before me - and I will take a dim view of the opportunity I’m affording you today, should that occur.”
Smith was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
Judge Slater ordered the forfeiture and destruction of Smith’s Samsung phone, but said it would be unfair to order the destruction of Smith’s computer when it has not been examined.