Hartlepool child porn pervert downloaded online paedophile manual

A loner obsessed with the dark web downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children and a 170-page paedophile manual.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.
The case was heard at Teesside Crown Court.

Alan Walton downloaded a paedophile manual and was also found to have more than 1,000 indecent images of children, Teesside Crown Court heard.

“The 170-page document set itself up as a manual giving instructions on how to have safe sex with children,” said Rachel Masters, prosecuting.

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“Police inquiries began into Walton after reports were received of indecent images being sent to an email account linked to him.

“A search warrant was executed at his house, and a Samsung mobile phone was found.”

The court heard storage devices linked to the phone contained 346 indecent images at the most serious category A, 306 category B images, 463 category C images, and the paedophile manual.

Ms Masters added: “The defendant pleads guilty on the basis he thought the images were codes for online gaming.

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“He said he wanted the manual to better understand things that had happened to him as a child.”

Walton 32, of Stephen Street, Hartlepool, admitted three charges of possessing indecent images, and one charge of possessing a paedophile manual between 2014 and 2015.

John Nixon, defending, said in mitigation: “Many of the images were duplicate, which means the number of unique images was much smaller.

“Mr Walton had a dreadful upbringing, and now lives an isolated existence, he is something of a loner.

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“After watching a YouTube video, he became obsessed with what is called the dark web.”

The Recorder, Mr Euan Duff, sentenced Walton to 13 months in prison, suspended for two years, and 35 days of rehabilitation activity.

The recorder told Walton: ““The fact you did not actively search for child abuse images is significant, and I accept you suffered as a child at the hands of another.”

He must register as a sex offender for 10 years.