Hebburn grandad caught with ‘vile’ abuse images of children aged four to 14

Police raided John Ashburner's home in April last year and seized a laptop that contained 79 illegal internet images featuring children between the ages of around four and 14.

Newcastle Crown Court heard Ashburner told officers he had never seen the unlawful haul but had downloaded a large file containing several legal images, which they must have been amongst.

But prosecutor Matthew Hopkins said: "That, however, turned out not to be true. They found emails that confirmed that the defendant had used his Hotmail email to send images to his iCloud email address, so he was certainly aware of the images."

Ashburner, 70, of Bellona Close, Hebburn, admitted having 17 category A images, which is the most serious, 25 category B and 37 category C between November 10, 2020, and September 5, 2023.

Jason Smith, defending, handed in references and letters on behalf of the married grandad, who has never been in trouble before.

Mr Smith said: "To say he feels shame under describes how he feels. He is mortally embarrassed at himself and cannot describe the feeling of shame has to his family and the the victims, the people who are on the images."

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Mr Smith said it was during the covid pandemic Ashburner, who was away from work, became "bored and isolated" and started looking legal images, which led on to the offending.

Mr Recorder Paul Reid said the images were "vile" and depicted acts "which should never have taken place".

The recorder said Ashburner is likely to have blighted the rest of his life by the offending and told him: "You are the author of your own misfortune, as you fully accept."

Recorder Reid said Ashburner had led a "blameless" life in a long-term marriage with children and grandchildren until the offences.

Ashburner was sentenced to four months, suspended for 12 months, with programme requirements and £150 costs.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.

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