Sheffield pervert gets suspended prison sentence after he was caught with indecent images of children

A pervert from Sheffield who was caught with indecent images of children on two mobile phones during a police raid has narrowly been spared from jail.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Sheffield Crown Court heard on September 23 how Wayne Rutledge, aged 52, of Norfolk Park Road, Norfolk Park, was found with two mobile phones containing indecent images of children after a police raid at his former home in the city.

Police found two category A indecent images, 19 category B indecent images and 48 category C indecent images, with category A being the most serious, as well as 38 extreme pornographic images, according to prosecuting barrister Fatima Zafar.

Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how Sheffield pervert Wayne Rutledge, who was caught with indecent images on two mobile phones, has been given a suspended prison sentenceSheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how Sheffield pervert Wayne Rutledge, who was caught with indecent images on two mobile phones, has been given a suspended prison sentence
Sheffield Crown Court, pictured, has heard how Sheffield pervert Wayne Rutledge, who was caught with indecent images on two mobile phones, has been given a suspended prison sentence
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Rutledge, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images relating to the category A, B and C images and he admitted possessing extreme pornographic images.

But he told police that he did not get any sexual gratification from indecent images of children.

The court heard that the downloaded images and offences related to a period from July 7, 2017, to January 19, 2019.

Francis Edusei, defending, said the defendant had personal and financial difficulties at the time of the offending and he has since had to wait a long time for his case to be resolved.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Edusei added that Rutledge is a self-employed courier and a hard-working man.

Recorder David Gordon said: “All this came about when a warrant was executed at your home address as long ago as January 20, last year."

Recorder Gordon pointed out Rutledge had attempted to conceal evidence by installing wiping software.

He told Rutledge: “It’s obvious to the technician who examined your phones that search terms specific to indecent children had been used to quite deliberately search out images of the very kind that were discovered on your phone.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Recorder Gordon pointed out that if people did not download indecent images of children there would be no reason for these children to have been abused in this way.

He sentenced Rutledge to eight months of custody suspended for two years with 120 hours of unpaid work, a four-month curfew and a rehabilitation requirement.

Rutledge has also been placed on the Sex Offenders Register and made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.

He will have to notify the authorities every time he moves house.