A PERSONAL trainer who downloaded more than 50 indecent images of children onto his mobile and laptop has been spared an immediate jail sentence.
Ashton Thomas, 25, was arrested in October 2021, with police seizing two iPhones, an iPad and a Dell laptop.
A forensic investigation of the devices uncovered a total of 54 indecent images of children, including 20 of Category A, the highest level of seriousness.
Officers also found incriminating key words among his search history on YouTube and TikTok.
Thomas, of Cragg Road, Shipley, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court.
In mitigation, Thomas’ barrister said that the circumstances of the offending were linked with his loss of work during lockdown as a self-employed personal trainer.
Judge Colin Burn warned that the types of images Thomas downloaded “caused horrendous abuse to be perpetrated on young children for the apparent amusement of others”.
The Judge sentenced Thomas to nine months in prison, suspended for two years.
He must also take part in a group work programme for sex offenders and a number of rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his behaviour.
He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, which restricts internet use, for ten years and will have to register as a sex offender for the same length of time.
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