Bournemouth man told police he had haul of indecent images

Simon Bent, 58, told police they would be able to find more than 100,000 indecent images if they went through all of his devices.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard a sample of material found babies as young six months old being sexually abused by adults.

Judge Susan Evans KC told Bent, of Drummond Road, Bournemouth, that he was “the market” for “real children suffering real and horrific abuse” and he was “the reason why it happens.”

“It absolutely ruins lives,” Judge Evans KC said.

Prosecuting, Joscelyn Lee told the court that Dorset Police’s paedophile online investigation team received intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA) on March 15, 2022, which linked the IP address at the defendant’s home with the downloading of 709 indecent images.

Officers attended his address on June 16 last year and he was arrested.

Ms Lee said police searched the property and found an “elaborate set up” with two computers, several external monitors and multiple hard drives attached.

Bent cooperated by providing his passwords and officers found his computer was actively downloading indecent images at the time of the arrest.

The defendant, who has a degree in economics, made full admissions in the interview. He told officers they would find “significantly more” images than the number suggested by the NCA.

When asked if he was remorseful, Bent said he was sorry he had been caught and he was open to getting help.

The material found during the sample analysis included 548 category A images (the most serious), 330 category B, 1,387 category C and five extreme pornography images.

Studies of the computers found search terms linked to child abuse, anti-forensic software and a cleaner programme.

Bent previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of making an indecent pseudo-photograph of a child and one count of possessing extreme pornography.

The defendant was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court (Image: NQ)

The defendant, who represented himself at the hearing, told the judge he was not sure he had even seen the most serious material referred to by the prosecution.

When asked by Judge Evans KC how he felt about his offending, Bent said he did not feel anything, adding that he was on beta blockers.

Asked why she should not send him to prison, the offender said: “I don’t know why you shouldn’t. I think it might be a good idea if you did.”

Bent said he was no longer accessing the illicit material and he had completed modules provided by the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

Judge Evans KC said the defendant, who had an “isolated” lifestyle and no previous convictions, showed a level of frankness that was “unusual”.

“You do demonstrate extreme detachment from the images and the suffering from those in the images,” Judge Evans KC said.

She said there was sufficient reason to suspend the sentence, referencing that he had not reoffended since police attended his address, he had cooperated with the investigation and there was a significant prospect of rehabilitation.

The defendant received a 16-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with a requirement to take part in up to 45 days of rehabilitation activity at the hearing on Monday, July 24.

He was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay £425 costs.

Judge Evans KC made Bent subject to a sexual harm prevention order and he was placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.