A MAN arrested on suspicion of viewing indecent images of children told police the young victims being abused, “seemed to be enjoying” it, a court heard.

The comment was made by Trevor Smith after he admitted downloading 614 indecent images found on his phone after it was seized and examined by police.

Durham Crown Court was told the offending images, a mix of stills and videos, included 313 in the most serious category and featured children as young as three being abused by adults.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said they were all accessed between August 1 and September 3, in 2020, but some had been “hidden” and were “inaccessible” to investigators carrying out the examination of the phone.

When he was interviewed in September last year Smith told police he had been “stupid” and he knew he should not have done it but added: “The children seemed to be enjoying what they were doing.”

The 54-year-old defendant, of Orchard Close, Crook, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children when he appeared before magistrates, last month.

Those charges cover the images classed as in A, B and C categories for such material.

Sentence was adjourned to allow for preparation of a background report on Smith by the Probation Service, and the case was sent to the crown court by the magistrates.

Amrit Jandoo, for Smith, told the crown court sentencing hearing his client, a former NHS worker, is remorseful, as outlined in his probation report.

Mr Jandoo said there was “no pattern” of similar offending in the past, and it was a case of “progressing” onto the child images having previously viewed adult pornography.

He added, however, it would appear there was, a “reasonable prospect” of rehabilitation working with various agencies in the community.

Judge Ray Singh said he took into account the defendant’s previous good character. and admissions, “at the earliest possible opportunity.”

But he told Smith, having read the content of the probation report and the references passed to the court on his behalf, “it seems all about the great shame and the consequences for you, due to your offending, with very little victim awareness being expressed.”

Describing them as, “the most despicable type of images the courts have to deal with,” with children as young as three being abused by adults, he said the defendant’s comment that the victims, “seemed to want it”, was, “a thoroughly shameful response and nothing I have read indicates that view is any different now.”

Judge Singh added: “It’s difficult to comprehend and a cause of grave concern.”

The judge said the attempts to conceal the images by Smith and the short time in which so many were gathered, were also, “aggravating features of the case”

He imposed a ten-month immediate prison sentence and made Smith subject to restrictions over future internet use as part of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and notification requirements as a sex offender, both to run for the next ten years.

Smith is also automatically barred from working with children in future, subject to the right to make representations.

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