Judge blasts sentencing guidelines which forced him to allow paedo found with TWO MILLION child abuse videos to walk free
A SICKENED judge has blasted sentencing guidelines which prevented him form locking up a paedophile found with a monstrous hoard of more than TWO MILLION child abuse videos.
Police discovered the astonishing amount of vile videos on Edward Brooks’ computer and hard drives, hidden in a cavity wall.
Prosecutor Nikki Coombe said the haul was so big officers were unable to categorise them all.
The videos had been downloaded over a ten year period and mainly featured young girls aged between 12 and 14, Taunton Crown Court heard on Tuesday.
50-year-old Brooks was arrested and bailed by police after authorities discovered the stash last February.
But even after the arrest vile Brooks downloaded a further 2,231 sexual photos and videos of girls aged between eight and 16.
The child abuse “addict”, of Minehead, Somerset, admitted two charges of possessing indecent images of children.
Judge David Ticehurst wanted to jail Brooks and put him on a rehabilitation programme after release but suggested that he could not do both.
The judge’s dilemma was due to national guidelines which meant imposing a two-year jail term would only see Brooks behind bars for six months – which isn’t long enough to complete the treatment.
Sentencing him, Judge Ticehurt said: “It’s people like you that lead to young girls like your daughter being abused.
“There are real children, with real feelings and real emotions and now, no doubt, with real psychological trauma that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.
“Your offending is compounded by the fact that after you were arrested you continued to view these images.
“I wish I could make it [the two-year jail term] longer.
“The fact is you’d serve only half of that sentence, less time than you’ve already served and the credit for your guilty plea.
“You’d spend a few months behind bar and come out and offend again, no doubt. That is not in the public interest. What I want to do is stop you.
Instead of handing him prison time, the Judge imposed a two-year suspended sentence and order Brooks to take part in the Thames Valley Sex Offender Programme.
Brooks will also be forced to undertake a 25 day rehabilitation requirement and be the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
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