A Leighton Buzzard man caught with thousands of indecent images of children was on Thursday, July 21, 2022, given a suspended jail sentence.
Ian Pither, 59, was arrested nearly four years ago, but the case was delayed because it was believed the police had carried out an unlawful search of his home.
Luton Crown Court heard the officers had gone to the house with a search warrant on 7 November 7, 2018.
Pither told the police: “There will be images on my computer. I will show you where they are.”
He took them to a bedroom office on the first floor. The officers placed the computer on the stairs and left without taking it with them.
Peter Gotch, defending, told the court: “The police left the property and came back to collect the computer.
“There was an argument that because they came back without a warrant the second search was unlawful. The case was delayed,” he said.
Pither of Sandpiper Way, Leighton Buzzard appeared for sentence having pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children.
The prosecutor Gary Rutter when the computer was examined 7,369 images were found. There were 574 still and 81 moving images at Category A, the most serious level.
760 still and 12 moving B images were found and there were 5,954 still and 31 moving C images.
The images were of children aged between 2 and 15.
The vast majority were aged between 8 and 10.
Mr Gotch said Pither had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. He had set up his own business and ran up £100,000 debts.
At the time of his arrest he had felt isolated was looking at legal internet pornography when he followed links to the child abuse images.
He said Pither had expressed sincere remorse, is ashamed and had not reoffended since. After his arrest he voluntarily attended the Lucy Faithful programme, a charity dedicated to preventing child abuse.
Judge Charles Gratwicke told him any seeing the schedule setting out the nature of the images could not feel anything other than “revulsion and anger.”
He passed an 18 month prison sentence suspended for two years. He must attend 30 rehabilitation days and pay £1200 costs.
Pither must register as a sex offender and abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years.
