South Tyneside man caught with hundreds of indecent images of children after police sting
A South Tyneside man was caught with hundreds of indecent images of children after a police sting operation, a court heard.
Sean Sharman, 32, of Monkton Avenue, Simonside, contacted what he believed to be a 14-year-old boy online.
When told his age in a communication, Sharman replied he was “sound with it” and expressed an interest in meeting up, prosecutor Clare Haswell revealed.
But he was in fact in touch with an undercover police officer on dates between Monday, October 14, and Monday, October 28 last year.
It led police to his then home and to the seizure of several electronic devices which were examined and found to contain indecent images and videos.
Sharman had 336 photos and videos at the most serious category A, and he had also distributed 33 at that level, South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court was told.
There were also 269 still images and videos at category B, with 25 distributed, and 138 images and videos at category C, with eight distributed.
Ms Haswell said despite Sharman expressing an interest in meeting up with the decoy child, the conversation petered out without arrangements being made.
Sharman pleaded guilty to three counts each of making an indecent photo or pseudo-photo of a child and distributing an indecent photo or pseudo-photo of a child.
He also admitted one count each of attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.
The making indecent image offences took place between Thursday, May 16, and Tuesday, November 19 last year.
The distribution offences were committed between Tuesday, December 26, 2023, and Friday, November 1 last year.
The two other offences were committed between Sunday, October 13, and Tuesday, October 29 last year.
David Forrester, defending, did not address the court.
District Judge Zoe Passfield ordered a pre-sentence report and granted Sharman unconditional bail to be sentenced at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday, November 4.
She made him subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
The judge told him: “You will be given full credit for those guilty pleas, but the case is too serious for this court.”