Grantham man given suspended jail sentence after indecent images found on phone

A man was caught with indecent images of children on his phone when police raided his home, Lincoln Crown Court was told.

James Bacon, who had previously served an 18 month jail sentence and was on the sex offenders' register, immediately confessed to having the illegal material when police officers arrived at his home in December last year.

Chris Jeyes, prosecuting, said: "He is and was a known person who has been managed by the relevant authorities since a conviction in May 2012 which resulted in an 18 month sentence.

"In the early hours of 19 December last year police officers executed a search warrant at his home. He was present and about to go to work. He immediately made admissions. On his phone was a selection of images which had been created. Examination of the telephone also revealed a number of different social media accounts. These were social media accounts that were not known to the police."

Mr Jeyes said that Bacon had been involved in online chats involving graphic descriptions of abuse. He said: "They provide a very concerning insight into this defendant's thoughts and desires. He was interviewed and fully accepted what he had done. He said his marriage had broken down. He searched for adult images but then had gone on to seek out indecent images of children."

Bacon, 45, of High Road, Barrowby, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children. The charges involved a total of 37 images of which one was in the most serious category. He also admitted failing to comply with the notification requirements of his sex offenders' registration order.

He was given a 15 month jail sentence suspended for two years with a rehabilitation activity requirement of 20 days. He was also given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and ordered to pay £500 prosecution costs.

Judge Andrew Easteal, passing sentence, told him: "You seem to have been caught before you slid back into the mire you were in before. By looking at this material you create a market for it and you create an incentive for children to be abused."

Karen Walton, in mitigation, said that Bacon lost his accommodation after his previous offending and his marriage broke down. As a result he ended up living with his parents who have been providing him with support.