A paedophile who downloaded thousands of sickening images of children was found to have searched for “swimming lesson timetable for children at Truro Leisure Centre”.
Jordan Ferris, 23, had pictures and videos of children as young as a few months old being abused, as well as children having sex acts performed on them by animals.
Ferris, of Longfield in Falmouth , appeared at Truro Crown Court for sentence after admitting three making indecent images of children charges and three distributing indecent images of children charges.
Prosecuting the case, Ed Bailey said that on October 14 2017 police searched the defendant’s home and seized a number of devices.
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When examined the devices revealed 940 still and six Category A movies, 642 Category B images and 1,788 Category C stills.
Mr Bailey said: “The children depicted had an age range of a few months old through to 16 and the images were downloaded over a year and a half.
“Evidence showed that some images had been distributed to other users of a similar interest including 10 Category A image, 13 B and four C.
“The defendant had browsed websites indicative of child abuse and searched swimming lesson timetable for children at Truro Leisure Centre.
“During interview he agreed he’d downloaded and uploaded images and said he was going through a period of depression and confused about his sexuality.
“He stated that he had been chatting to children online but denied visiting swimming pools. He stated he masturbated sometimes to the point of ejaculation when viewing the images and that he had a sexual interest in children.
“He also admitted he had been sent images of young children being abused by animals.”
Defending Ferris, Jason Beal said Ferris has no previous convictions and had showed remorse demonstrated in his guilty pleas.
Mr Beal said: “There is a lack of maturity present in his offending and Mr Ferris had a sense of becoming increasingly isolated.
“He found himself left behind when his friends went to university and got jobs while he worked in low paid jobs.
“He was alone in his room drinking to excess and smoking cannabis and looking to chatrooms for company. His use of pornography degenerated into accessing the material for which he is to be sentenced today.”
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Sentencing Ferris, Judge Simon Carr said: “It is clear that for at least 18 months you’d been downloading and on occasions distributing images of children, some as young as only a few months old.
“You not only downloaded Category A images but also B and C showing that you had a very large collection.
“You distributed images to those of a like mind and even when you were arrested in 2017 and had your computer examined you bought a second computer and continued to download the images. The short, sharp shock of arrest did nothing to stop you.”
Judge Carr described how the number of images, the period of time they were downloaded over, the young age of some of the victims and the fact Ferris shared the material left him no choice but to impose a period of immediate imprisonment.
Ferris was jailed for 15 months and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order.
