South Yorkshire man found with child abuse images and necrophilia pornography given suspended sentence

Acting on ‘intelligence,’ police raided the home of Jordan Gould, now aged 23, where he lived with his parents and siblings in June 2016, Sheffield Crown Court heard. 

Officers seized an iPhone and a laptop from Gould’s home, which were subsequently taken for analysis. 

Prosecutor, Andrew Smith, said police found hundreds of indecent images of children on his devices

In total, there were 134 images of Category A, which is the most serious of the three categories and is defined as images which show penetrative sex with children. 

Gould, of Narrow Lane, North Anston had also downloaded 132 Category B images and 199 Category C images. 

Mr Smith said the majority of the indecent images downloaded by Gould involved children aged between six and eight-years-old. 

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Officers also found 23 images categorised as ‘extreme pornography,’ which included a video of a man having sex with a corpse.

He was also found to be in possession of two prohibited images which were drawings that depicted child abuse. 

Mr Smith said the images had all been deleted, but police were able to retrieve them using specialist software. 

Following further analysis of Gould’s devices, police were able to establish he downloaded the images between September 2012 and November 2016 and had spoken online to people who shared his sexual interest in children. 

Despite the raid at Gould’s home taking place in June 2016, when he was aged 20, police did not arrest him until April 2017, the court heard. 

Gould pleaded guilty to charges of making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography at an earlier hearing. 

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Under the law, 'making' an indecent image can refer to the 'opening, accessing, downloading and storing of online content'. 

Dermot Hughes, defending, said: “Technically, Mr Gould was a child himself [when he began downloading the images] in November 2012..he continued to pursue those interests without really appreciating the awfulness and more serious harm caused by images of this kind.”

He added: “He’s a young man who needs help and would benefit from a community order. He’s clearly had some difficulties over the years...he needs help getting employment and the dignity that will bestow upon him.”

Judge Michael Slater sentenced Gould to a 30 month community order, as part of which he will be required to complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days and up to 90 days of group work in a sex offenders’ treatment programme. 

He said: “On balance, I have come to the conclusion that an order would be preferable in your case...get yourself out of the mire that you have been wallowing in, or go to prison, it’s as simple as that.”

Gould was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for a period of five years, and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for the same period of time. 

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