Young man caught in Sheffield with 252 indecent images of children is told to rebuild his life by city judge

Benjamin Grant, aged 26, was found by police to have two laptop computers with indecent images of children at a property on Hunter House Road, Sharrow, Sheffield, according to a Sheffield Crown Court hearing.

Neil Coxon, prosecuting, previously told the court that police raided the property and discovered the laptops contained 105 category A images, one category A moving image, 61 category B images, and 85 category C images – with category A being the most serious.

Judge Jeremy Richardson QC told Grant during a sentencing hearing on April 26: “I described your conduct on the last occasion when you were before the court as you having descended into a vortex of emotional destruction.

“You have caused enormous damage to yourself quite apart from the crimes.”

Judge Richardson previously said he was astonished that an intelligent, young man with a promising life should be standing in the dock of a crown court facing a sentence for a crime of this kind.

Grant, now of Sighthill Terrace, Edinburgh, who has a conviction for stalking, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images concerning the category A, B and C images after the police raid on July 6, 2020.

Judge Richardson told Grant: “Your life is not without hope but it will certainly not be the life you intended. You will have to rebuild your life but you must be punished for what you have done.”

He sentenced Grant to six months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and regular reviews in Scotland so any breach can be considered by Judge Richardson.

Judge Richardson told Grant: “Many people in their lives make bad decisions. You have made a particularly bad decision when you did as you did.

“Not only was it a bad decision but it was a criminal act. You have had to pay a price for it. I could have given you prison straight away.”

Grant was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years and he was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period.