Community order for Kettering paedophile who was caught with almost 30,000 sick images

A Kettering paedophile who had almost 30,000 sick images told police he wasn’t attracted to children ‘in real life’.

Karl Burt, 51, had been searching online for ‘jailbait’ and even categorised some of the files he had downloaded.

He admitted there would be illegal material on his devices when he was arrested but said he was not a risk to youngsters.

On Tuesday (April 25) he was spared from prison after a judge said he would benefit from help from the probation service.

Northampton Crown Court heard Burt, of Avondale Road, was arrested in 2019 after police received intelligence that he was in possession of the vile files.

In total three were in category A – depicting the most depraved abuse – while 29,581 were in category C. A total of 27,796 of these were in an accessible location, the court heard.

Prosecutor Quiana Fitzpatrick said Burt told police he downloaded “all types of stuff – some things good, some things bad” but wasn’t always sure what he was downloading.

She said: "He said when he has been drinking he looks for young girls on the internet.

"But he stated he is not attracted to children in real life and is not a risk to children."

Ms Fitzpatrick said a website that images were from said models were over the age of 16, but that his search terms showed he had been seeking 'younger models'.

Burt later admitted two charges of possession of indecent photographs of children and one of making indecent photographs of children, a legal term for actions such as viewing or downloading.

Possessing category A images has a sentencing guidelines range from 26 weeks to three years in prison, while possessing category C images can be punished by anything from a community order to 26 weeks behind bars.

Mitigating, William Forber-Heyward said Burt had committed no offences prior to or since his arrest and that he had fully engaged with the police.

He added that had been having counselling and was making ‘good progress’.

Mr Forber-Heyward said: "He fully understands the seriousness of what he has done and is fully engaged with looking to rehabilitate himself."

Sentencing, Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane said Burt was depressed at the time and was binge drinking but had no previous convictions.

She told him: "It's clear that you will benefit from probation input."

Burt was sentenced to a 12-month community order with 40 rehabilitation activity days.

He will be on the sex offender register for five years, subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, restricting his use of the internet, and barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.