Man who shared '˜vile videos' online after becoming curious avoids jail

Carl Pearson (23) of Norwood Road, March, was given 14 months in prison, suspended for two years, for sharing and receiving indecent material on a website.

Pearson had been visited by officers in September last year, and the next day he contacted police to admit he had looked at ‘all types of indecent images.’

The court was told Pearson had four images on his iPhone and 17 videos on his Dropbox account - an internet site which holds files

Sarah Porter, prosecuting, said Pearson had been “curious about this kind of criminal activity” and accepted that “he had previously fantasised about adults having sexual relations with younger children.”

Nicola Devas, defending Pearson, said: “He went onto the website as a matter of curiosity and got sucked in. Eventually he was horrified by what he saw and stopped using it. Having stopped that usage he went to get help.

“He has been open about this with his family and his wife from the very beginning. He has not sort to try and hide this from anyone.”

Pearson had been charged of four counts - making, distributing, possessing with a view to distributing, and possession of, indecent images.

Sentencing at Peterborough Crown Court today (Friday, August 19), Judge Sean Enright told Pearson: “You have engaged yourself with vile filth. It’s damaging to the victims of the abuse.”

However, taking into account Pearson’s previous good character, his recognition that what he had done was wrong, the small number of images and the fact that he had not tried to make a profit out of them, he settled on a suspended sentence and 140 hours of unpaid work.

The sentence led to tears from the public gallery where Pearson’s family were sitting.