Hartlepool man caught with nearly 3,000 child pornography images jailed at Teesside Crown Court

Samuel Reid, of Elwick Road, had almost 3,000 “repugnant” child pornography images – including of babies - and sold some of the material to feed his drug habit, Teesside Crown Court was told.

More than 1,150 of the photographs were Category A – the most serious level – while 867 were Category B images and 788 were in Category C.

Reid, 23, was also caught with 456 extreme pornography images and 85 prohibited images of a child.

A sentencing hearing at Teesside Crown Court heard police officers attended Reid’s home last September.

His phone was seized and 1,150 Category A images were found, including 922 still images and 238 videos.

The extreme pornography images included bestiality and genital mutilation.

The court heard the defendant had made £150 from selling images to other interested parties to fund his drug habit.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said Reid had started to look up the images “out of pure curiosity” and claimed he accessed the material when he was high on cocaine.

Ms Haigh said: “The defendant, however, in interview was frank in his discussions with the officers and admitted he had been downloading them. He went on to say he did when he was high on cocaine.”

Brian Russell, mitigating, said it was “quite hard to square” the offending that had been described with the “polite, intelligent” man he met.

He said the defendant’s character totally changes when under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Mr Russell said: “He describes the whole experience as sobering and he realises the position he has put himself in.”

The court was told Reid was of previous good character and had no previous convictions or cautions.

But Judge Jonathan Carroll said the images were “repugnant”, adding: "I do not accept this was pure curiosity. You clearly have established interest in young children.

"That causes serious concern.”

Reid pleaded guilty to to three counts of making indecent images of children, distributing one Category A image of a child and possession of 85 prohibited images of a child.

He had also admitted possessing 456 extreme pornographic images.

Reid was jailed for 35 months and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.