South Shields businessman caught with sickening collection of child abuse images

Police raided Paul Goldsbrough's home in April 2019 and found a total of 1,025 pictures and movies on his laptop.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the 45-year-old also had 21 prohibited images of children and two of extreme pornography, featuring animals.

Prosecutor Marc Atkins told the court: "The age range of the children depicted in the images has been estimated to be as young as two-months old to 15 years of age."

Mr Atkins said Goldsbrough, had "deliberately searched" for the illegal images online.

Goldsbrough, of Harton Rise, South Shields, admitted three charges of making indecent photographs of children and one of possessing extreme pornography.

The court heard there were a total of 114 catergory A images and movies, which is the most serious category, as well as 204 category B images and movies and 707 category C images and movies.

Mr recorder David Gordon sentenced Goldsbrough to ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and 200 hours unpaid work.

He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The judge said the offences were "despicable".

"It might be tempting for some to think that this kind of offending does not have a victim,” he said.

"People of that view, and I hope you are not one of them, would be sadly very wrong indeed.

"Every single image that you look at has a victim, not just a victim but a young child who has been sexually abused because whoever took those photos, and there is no suggestion it was you, someone has taken those photographs and on each occasion a photograph was was taken a young child has been sexually abused, with who knows what devastating affect on them at the time and for some years to come, no doubt.”

He added: "This is not a victimless crime, if it wasn't for people such as yourself prepared to download those images, nobody would be taking those photographs.

"If there was no market for them, no demand for them, no-one would be taking those photographs."

The judge said he accepted Goldsbrough, who has never been in trouble before, was genuinely remorseful for what he did.

Goldsbrough, who represented himself at the hearing said he believed there were "a lot fewer" images involved but added: "I did something very stupid, I don't deny that."

He told the court he has his own business, which has had to close during the pandemic.

Goldsbrough vowed: "This will never, ever happen again."

He added: "I am very embarrassed, I am very regretful for what I have done."

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