Rushden paedophile who bought child abuse images '˜didn't know they were illegal'

Adam Walker, 27, of Westfield Avenue, pleaded guilty to possessing four Category C images, six Category B images and two Category A images last month.

At sentencing yesterday (Wednesday), Wellingborough Magistrates Court heard how Walker was arrested after a tip-off from the Canadian authorities.

While police there were investigating a website involved in sharing the sick content, it was discovered that UK customers has purchased digital downloads from them.

One of those involved was Walker, who had bought the pictures using a credit card.

He was arrested after a search warrant found the images on a device at his home in 2014, some four years after the images were downloaded.

Prosecuting, Jerena Tomaszewska said that Walker told police he was not sexually attracted to children and got no gratification from the images.

Walker also said that he “did not know the age for images”, with hundreds of legal images of men also found.

Mitigating, Paul Seaton said his client had Asperger’s and was not looking for images of children.

He said: “He accepts that he was looking for nudists but was not looking for pictures of young children.

“The offences took place six years ago and he cannot remember what he searched for but thinks it may have been teenagers.

“He did not know which pictures were legal and which weren’t.

“If he got a picture he did not want he would delete it.”

Chairman of the bench Mrs Patel sentenced Walker to a two-year community order with supervision requirements and made him the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention order indefinitely.

Walker was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £60.