Internet sex offender with indecent photos is spared from jail

Derby Crown Court recently heard how John Carnall, 67, of Leabrooks Road, Somercotes, Alfreton, was snared by Greater Manchester Police during an operation that targeted people using the internet for sexual offences.

Prosecuting solicitor Robert Carr told a previous hearing at Chesterfield magistrates’ court that these offences came to light as part of a Greater Manchester Police operation and included evidence of people making images of children and making them available to others over the internet by a peer-to-peer network.

This police investigation led to an address, according to Mr Carr, which was visited by police in February and Carnall was there and he made admissions to police of being responsible for these images.

Mr Carr added that police inspected Carnall’s computer equipment and discovered 28 category A images, 13 category B images and 63 category C images of children including 21 movies.

Carnall accepted to police that he had used a laptop and no one else but him had downloaded any of the images concerned to the network.

The defendant also told police he had shared some of these images and he had been downloading these images for some time.

Carnall pleaded guilty to distributing an indecent photo at Leabrooks Road between December 17, 2013 and February 3, 2016.

He also admitted three counts of making indecent photos at Leabrooks Road between the same dates concerning the 28 category A images, the 13 category B images and the 63 category C images.

Mr Carr had said the defendant accepted it had been going on for over about six years and he was disgusted with himself and realised what he had done was wrong.

District Judge Andrew Davison committed Carnall’s case from Chesterfield magistrates’ court to Derby Crown Court for sentencing.

Carnall was given a six-month custodial sentence suspended for 24 months providing he commits no further offences in the next two years.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and he was banned from working with children.

Carnall was also ordered to pay £200 costs and an £80 victim surcharge.