A MAN found with indecent images of children and extreme pornography on two laptops was told he was in denial of his sexual interest in children while being sentenced at Bradford Crown Court.

But 53-year-old Wayne Moore was spared an immediate custodial sentence by Recorder Andrew Dallas after he determined that he would benefit from support rather than jail time.

He told Moore: “I am concerned that you are in denial about your sexual interest in children. It seems to me that taking pictures, not illegally, with your camera of children in the street repeatedly suggests otherwise to me. I think you need help in addressing that.”

Prosecutor Lydia Pearce told the court that Moore was arrested on March 9, 2022, on suspicion of possessing indecent images.

At least two photographs and videos in categories A, B, and C, from the most explicit to the least severe, were found on two laptops. Moore had also used a digital camera to film girls in public without their parents’ knowledge.

When interviewed by police Moore admitted possessing indecent images, describing them as “images and videos of 12 to 16-year-olds wearing next to nothing”.

He was also found to have an extreme pornographic image of a person and an animal.

He denied having a sexual interest in children.

Images were accessed between June 25, 2016, and March 9, 2022, the day of his arrest.

Mitigating, Camille Morland said there were “clearly areas of concern” around Moore’s behaviour and it had not possible to clarify why he had been photographing children - she said he had used his camera “in general terms” and that the photographs had not been criminal in nature.

She said Moore, of Clough Lane, Mixenden, Halifax, lived with his elderly mother, who was housebound, and was a carer. He was of previous good character.

Mr Recorder Dallas warned Moore: “I hope you have reflected on the fact, particularly with those awful Category A images, that some child has actually been subjected to that treatment and will no doubt suffer for the rest of her life because of it.

“And the real concern is if there weren’t people out there like you prepared to access those images, they wouldn’t be on the internet in the first place, and those children may well not have been harmed.

“So do not think about what you were doing as victimless crime. You provide a market even if you’re not parting with money. You provide oxygen to the people who would put the stuff out there in the first place by the knowledge that people like you will want to look at it. It’s illegal and it’s serious.”

He sentenced Moore to eight months in prison in total, suspended for two years, ordered him to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and to undertake 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and pay £340 costs.

Moore is already on the sex offenders’ register and will remain on it for ten years. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

His laptops will be forfeited and destroyed.