Raunds paedophile who downloaded thousands of vile images spared prison

A paedophile who had almost 4,000 sickening child abuse images was "a whisker away" from being jailed, a judge has said.

Daniel Corbin, of Mallows Drive in Raunds, will instead have to wear a tag and take part in rehabilitation programmes after admitting downloading the vile material on his phone.

Yesterday (Tuesday) Northampton Crown Court heard the 34-year-old was arrested in October last year when police found the indecent images of children on his mobile.

He admitted having downloaded them for some time when interviewed by police and the court heard he had an addictive personality, with viewing the images becoming "part and parcel of his normal life".

In total he admitted making - the legal term for opening, accessing or downloading - 3,907 images of child abuse.

Of those 1,398 were in category A, the most severe, with 990 in category B and 1,519 in category C.

He also admitted sharing two images on an internet chat site and possessing extreme pornographic images.

Corbin, a former Bedfordshire PCSO who was not serving at the time of his offending, had received threats since pleading guilty.

The court heard he had mental health issues and still has the support of his own family, who were in the public gallery for his sentencing.

Mitigating, Micaila Williams said: "This is a man who needs help [and] is ready to be helped."

Sentencing, His Honour Judge David Herbert QC told Corbin he was "a whisker away" from leaving through the door to the cells rather than out of the dock.

Corbin, who appeared in the dock in a suit and purple tie and wore his hair in a topknot, was sentenced to a three-year community order.

He will have to wear a tag for six months with an electronic curfew and take part in mental health rehabilitation days and rehabilitation sessions designed for sex offenders.

Judge Herbert QC told him: "I hope you understand that young children have to suffer to produce these images for people like you to view."

A sexual harm prevention order was made restricting his use of the internet and he will also have to register as a sex offender.

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