Hartlepool pervert jailed after police discover thousands of child porn images

Stuart Henderson, 44, from Hartlepool, kept a USB stick of depravity on his key ring.

He is now beginning five years and two months in prison after he was locked up at Teesside Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual activity with a child and seven offences of possessing indecent images of a child and prohibited images.

Prosecutor Paul Cleasby said police were alerted about his internet activity, seized his electronic devices and discovered all of them contained images of child sex abuse.

A subsequent investigation revealed that he also engaged in sexual activity with a teenage schoolgirl.

Henderson was interviewed on two occasions and he said that he was taking drugs, used specialist software to make the images and conceded that he had a sexual interest in children.

Sam Faulks, defending, told the court that Henderson was in an unstable part of his life and taking drink and drugs.

He was now estranged from his family, lost his job and was likely to lose his mortgaged home.

Henderson had been attacked and was in fear for his safety although Mr Faulks added: “But he has brought all that upon himself.”

Judge Howard Crowson said Henderson posed a serious future risk and that his future behaviour would be monitored by experienced police and probation workers.

Henderson, of Victoria Terrace, also received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his contact with children and his use of the internet for life.

He was additionally ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

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