Southsea pervert who had 15,000 child abuse images claimed they were 'safety net'

Brian Hemborough ‘systematically’ searched for the abuse images, claiming he used them as a perverted ‘safety net’ to stop himself abusing children.

Hemborough was already being monitored by police - following convictions in 1989, 2004, 2013 and 2016 - when his devices were seized and checked.

So many images and videos were uncovered that police just took a sample of 15,000 from the 55-year-old’s devices.

Portsmouth Crown Court heard some children were in ‘discernible pain’ in the images, and were as young as two.

Prosecutor Stuart Ellacott said the defendant twice lied to police claiming he had no internet-enabled devices, telling officers in December 2018 ‘he was hoping he would get something’ like that for Christmas.

The socially-distanced public gallery containing two people erupted as judge Roger Hetherington jailed Hemborough with cries of ‘he’s ruined people’s lives’.

One man shouted ‘12 months?’ as judge Hethering jailed the defendant for 32 months.

Hemborough admitted eight charges of making indecent images, two breaches of a sexual offences prevention order and three charges of possession of indecent images.

He was secretly viewing the images between December 2015 and January this year.

Jailing him, the judge said: ‘When the police attended your premises earlier this year it was found that you had a number of devices which on analysis were found to contain a very large quantity of indecent images at all levels and including moving images - on the basis of the sample taken, a little under 15,000.’

The judge said Hemborough had a ‘very significant record of previous convictions including various contact offences’ in 1989 when he was jailed for 10 years.

Detailing probation’s findings, the judge added: ‘You at times sought to justify what you did, to minimise the reality that you plainly harbour supportive beliefs in the area of child abuse and you have a high degree of preoccupation (in children) - all those are very troubling matters.’

He added: ‘You told the police that you have used indecent images as what was termed by you as a safety net to prevent yourself committing contact offences.’

Hemborough must sign the sex offenders’ register for life, and is subject to a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.

Philip Allman, mitigating, said his client was ‘willing to address his issues’ and added: ‘He has gone to great efforts to learn about his desires and how to combat them.’

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