Peterborough man found with more than 100 indecent images of children avoids immediate prison sentence

Police discovered that Robert Seymour (47) of Clayton, Peterborough, had 102 indecent images of children when they visited his home in August last year.

Of the 102 images, 34 were graded as category A – the most serious, with 18 graded as category B and 50 category C.

Seymour appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, August 26 after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child – with each count relating to a different category of images.

Pretty Barber, prosecuting, told the court that police seized a mobile phone, a tablet and a laptop computer when they arrested Seymour.

She told the court Seymour had no previous convictions recorded against him.

Julie Murtagh, defending, told the court that Seymour had health issues, and was also a carer for his mum, and urged chair magistrate Tracy Sortwell not to impose an immediate prison sentence..

She said: “He is described as isolated and vulnerable, which would make any custodial sentence especially difficult.”

Sentencing, Mrs Sortwell said: “These are serious matters.

"But we can suspend the custodial sentence.”

She said the sentence could be suspended because of his lack of previous convictions, his vulnerability, the prospect of rehabilitation and the impact on others.

Seymour was given an eight month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to take part in 25 days of Rehabilitation activities.

He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, and ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £187.