Former school lab technician from Nether Edge, Sheffield, caught with indecent images of children

Michael Tinker, aged 60, of Rupert Road, Nether Edge, Sheffield, was caught by police with 10 indecent images of youngsters after police searched his home, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Matthew Burdon, prosecuting, told the hearing on December 22: “South Yorkshire Police received information that indecent images of children had been accessed at that address so a warrant was executed on August 17, 2020.”

Mr Burdon said devices were seized and examined, and a PC, a mobile phone and a laptop contained one category A, one category B and eight category C indecent images, with category A being the most serious.

He added that Tinker had previously been employed as a laboratory technician at a school and he had previously been a teacher at a school.

Tinker, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images relating to the three categories.

He told police he had an addiction to adult pornography and he claimed the first time he had looked at an indecent image of a child it had been accidental and then he started downloading such images out of curiosity.

Mark Bates, defending, said one of the images had been an edited version of an original image and the overall number of images was significantly small.

He added Tinker has suffered with a personality disorder, alcohol and addictive traits which he has tried to address.

Mr Bates said Tinker is ashamed and he resigned from work when matters came to light.

Judge Peter Kelson QC sentenced Tinker to a two-year community order with a sex-offender treatment programme and a rehabilitation requirement.

He warned Tinker: “You need to understand that although this is a community order you would be better thinking of this as a suspended sentence because I will be reserving any breaches of the order to myself.

"So if you are tempted to look at any illegal material or commit any offence or fail to comply with the requirements of the probation service you will be brought back to me and then you will go to prison.”