A man from Ilkeston has been given a suspended prison sentence after admitting a series of serious offences involving indecent images of children.
Chris Webber, 36, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court, where he pleaded guilty to multiple offences including possession and distribution of indecent images of children, as well as possessing extreme pornography.
Thousands of images found
The court heard that police attended Webber’s home in March 2022, where they seized a number of electronic devices.
Analysis of those devices uncovered almost 3,000 indecent images and videos of children, collected over a number of years.
This included:
- 616 Category A images (the most serious)
- 622 Category B images
- 1,733 Category C images
Category A material includes the most serious forms of abuse.
Prosecutors said some of the material involved very young children.
Online activity and distribution
The court was told Webber had used online platforms to share indecent images with others.
Under the username “Pool Fun 23”, he distributed images between June and November 2015, including Category A, B and C material.
He also engaged in online conversations with another user which the court heard were deeply disturbing in nature.
In addition to distribution offences, indecent images remained on his devices and were still accessible at the time police seized them in 2022.
Search terms linked to child abuse material were also found on his devices.
Court hears mitigation
Webber, who had no previous convictions, admitted the offences.
His barrister told the court he was “ashamed” and had struggled with low self-esteem earlier in life.
The court also heard there was support from family members and that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
Suspended sentence imposed
Sentencing, the judge described the case as “unusual”, noting the age of some of the offending and the fact the material had been shared with individuals rather than publicly.
Webber was sentenced to:
- Two years in prison, suspended for two years
- 150 hours of unpaid work
- 35 rehabilitation sessions
He was also made subject to:
- A 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order
- Registration on the sex offenders register for 10 years
The judge said there remained some risk to the public but that it could be managed in the community.