A MAN who amassed more than 5,500 images of young victims being abused told police he had no specific sexual interest in children, but conceded he was, “just perverted.”

Mark Duffield made the comments to officers after they called at his home, on suspicion of downloading indecent child images, at 8.30am on October 12, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard his immediate response was: “I’m guilty.”

Kelly Sherif, prosecuting, said on being cautioned and arrested, Duffield told the officers: “I looked at it on my phone.”

A mobile phone was seized for examination, which revealed it contained 5,515 offending images, 979 in the most serious bracket, featuring children as young as four being sexually abused by adults.

Duffield told police he had been looking at such images since 2014 but said he had, “no preference” as to the ages of the children featured, adding that he had also looked at extreme pornographic images featuring animals.

Ms Sherif said Duffield told police he often viewed them for sexual gratification, but had no specific interest in children, as he was, “just perverted.”

He said he knew he risked being caught eventually.

Duffield also said he had often deleted images, but when he wanted to view such material would re-access them.

The 31-year-old defendant, formerly of Milton Close, Seaham, but whose address was given by the court at Polden Close, Peterlee, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children when he went before magistrates last month.

His case was sent to the crown court for sentence.

Lewis Kerr, for Duffield, told the court: “He’s someone who has had almost no interaction with the criminal justice system, but, for a number of years admits looking at these images.

“He would clearly regret looking at them, deleting them, but then re-accessing them using a browser.

“It seems he’s susceptible to it and he recognises his criminality.

“Being ‘perverted’ is a frank description made by himself, but he’s someone who can deal with his sexual predilections.”

Urging Judge James Adkin to pass a suspended prison sentence, to enable Duffield to undergo rehabilitation work in the community to address his offending, Mr Kerr said a probation report considers him a “low risk” of offending in future, but a “medium risk” for accessing images.

But Judge Adkin said there was “some ambiguity” in the report as Duffield is considered as posing a “high risk” of causing serious sexual harm to children, at the moment.

Imposing an immediate 12-month prison sentence, the judge said it was due to the number of images, their severity, the time he spent viewing them and the use of a specialist browser to re-access them.

Duffield was also made subject of restrictions using the internet in a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and registration requirements as a sex offender, both for ten years.

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