Paedophile who fantasised about children in online chatrooms spared jail

Colin Pearce, of Rivington Apartments, Railway Terrace, Slough, made ‘utterly vile’ comments about what he would like to do to young people, while possessing graphic and explicit material of children being abused.

The 66-year-old admitted to four counts of publishing obscene material and possession of indecent images of children, as well as three counts of possessing an obscene article at Reading Crown Court.

Deputy circuit judge Alistair McCreath said: “Sometimes it can seem that looking at these types of images is not very serious and that it does not matter.

“The children in the two videos you had were real children being sexually abused for the benefit of those who like to look at them.

“People who look at those images are complicit in the abuse, just as much as those who create them. The images would not exist were it not for the fact that people like you are gratified by looking at the vile content.”

Pearce was handed a nine-month sentence, suspended for two years, with a requirement to carry out 40 days of rehabilitation sessions.

A Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made and Pearce was made to pay court costs of £1,500.

Mr McCreath added: “One offence is bad enough, but those who download images almost always do so in batches. The offences are far from trivial.

“You and the men in these chatrooms are all revolting and some of the comments are utterly vile, particularly with your pre-existing tendencies.

“The courts have much experience of adults going into chatrooms and talking to children, with a view to meeting if that is possible between the paedophile and the child.

“This case is different because the people you spoke to were not children, but all of you were sitting there and fantasizing about what you would like to do to children.

“There was no actual harm done, but I do not seek to justify what you did, or play it down.”

Pearce will be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years.