Man from Bolton sentenced for child porn (From This Is Lancashire)

Man from Bolton sentenced for child porn

6:31am Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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A man who claimed he sought solace in internet pornography after his sex life ended became addicted to it, a court heard.

Christopher Livesley built up a huge collection of adult porn, some of which he swapped with others — but he also downloaded child porn.

When police raided his home in July, 2008, they seized his computer equipment, Liverpool Crown Court was told.

Forensic examinations by the police later revealed that there were 1,100 indecent images of children and one involving animals stored on the computer.

A judge told Livesley, of Gatley Close, Tyldesley, that he needed help “for what strikes me as a disease” after he pleaded guilty to 19 offences involving downloading indecent images of children and one of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Paul Treble, defending, told: “He acknowledges he has to be punished.”

Mr Treble said Livesley “found solace in porn” after he stopped having a sexual relationship with his wife. He said: “A psychological report shows it can be highly addictive — and that is what happened to him.”

Livesley, aged 43, has now voluntarily sought help, Mr Treble told the court.

He then said: “The case has been catastrophic for him.

“My client has lost his job and the love and respect of his children who currently do not want anything to do with him.”

Sentencing Livesley, Judge Gerald Clifton said: “Every one of those images means a child has been abused — and every time they are looked at, again, in a way, a child is abused.”

He said that instead of a short immediate jail sentence he would suspend it and send Livesley for help.

Livesley was sentenced to 18 weeks’ imprisonment suspended for two years and ordered to attend a sex offenders’ treatment programme.

He was also placed under supervision for two years, ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and was banned from working with children.