Suspended sentence for Doncaster man who downloaded images depicting child abuse, bestiality and women being 'brutalised'

The home of Stephen Parkin, 60, was raided by South Yorkshire Police after the force received intelligence that an internet protocol address located at his home was 'accessing indecent images of children', prosecutor Michael Tooley told Sheffield Crown Court.

Devices belonging to Parkin including a laptop and a HP personal computer were seized by police and analysed.

Mr Tooley said Parkin was found to have five indecent images of children which fall into Category A - the most serious of the legal categories, defined as material which shows children being raped - on his devices.

He was also found to be in possession of two images which are legally defined as 'extreme pornography' and depicted women having sex with a horse and a dog, and also showed them being brutalised and raped.

"The defendant was interviewed and accepted that the two extreme pornographic images were his. He otherwise declined to answer any question put to him, detailing the Crown's case against him," said Mr Tooley.

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Parkin, of Brampton Lane, Armthorpe pleaded guilty to one count of making indecent images of children and to one count of possession of extreme pornography at an earlier hearing.

Under the law, 'making' an indecent image can refer to the 'opening, accessing, downloading and storing of online content'.

Edward Moss, defending, said: "He's brought absolute shame upon himself and his family with his offending. He doesn't know why he's ended up in this situation, but he has."

Mr Moss continued by saying Parkin has no previous convictions and had enjoyed a successful career as an engineer.

"He's the sole carer for his wife, who is in particularly poor health. He's assessed to be a low risk of re-offending," said Mr Moss.

Judge Graham Reeds QC sentenced Parkin to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and ordered him to complete 20 rehabilitation activity days 'directed towards the treatment of sex offenders'.

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He told Parkin: "No person chooses to have sex with an animal, no person chooses to be brutalised, no child chooses to be sexually assaulted and raped...the supply of these images is generated by a demand, and you are a part of that."

Judge Reeds also made Parkin the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered him to place himself on the sex offenders' register for a period of seven years.

The judge also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the electronic devices seized from Parkin's house.

Parkin responded by asking whether it would be possible for his son's Playstation and mobile phone, which were taken from his home, to be returned.

Judge Reeds commented that buying his son a new Playstation was the 'least' Parkin could do.

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