2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (stokesentinel Administrator)
A pervert who described himself as an 'internet genius' was found with hundreds of child abuse images. Alaister Crowley, aged 59, handed over his laptop and mobile phone when police turned up at his Bentilee home on May 9, 2023. They were analysed at the police station and officers found indecent images of children on them.
They returned to his Plainfield Grove address and found a USB stick hidden in a holdall in his car. He said he had forgotten about it. It was examined and contained more sickening images.
Prosecutor David Bennett told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court police found a total of 346 indecent images at category A, the most serious; 161 at category B and 200 at category C. The children were aged from two to 14 with most aged between eight and 10. Crowley denied having a sexual interest in children.
Mr Bennett said: "He said any material would have been as a result of inadvertent downloading of such material from the dark web. He said whenever he saw indecent images of children he deleted them immediately." But the evidence showed Crowley had accessed some sites on more than one occasion.
Mr Bennett added: "He struggled to explain why he accessed one file on six occasions." Crowley, of Heathfield Court, High Street, Tunstall , pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children. Barry White, mitigating, said Crowley lives in supported accommodation and receives counselling every week.
Mr White said: "All he does is go fishing. He hopes to go into competitive fishing. "These offences date back to 2023.
There have been no further offences since that time. He has no previous convictions for offences of this nature and he has not committed offences of this nature since. He has been receiving the counselling he needs to help him in his everyday life.
" Recorder Robert Smith sentenced Crowley to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a rehabilitation activity requirement for 45 days and 120 hours unpaid work. Recorder Smith said: "Some of the images showed abuse of children as young as two, although most were between eight and 10. They were committed between July 27, 2022 and April 26, 2023.
"You claimed to have forgotten about the USB stick, something I do not accept for one minute. You were deliberately concealing evidence. "You gave an account the downloading was accidental.
You deny having a sexual interest in children. The evidence suggests otherwise. Some of the images were accessed by you on multiple devices.
When interviewed you described yourself as a genius with the internet. "In my opinion you have a depraved sexual interest in children. You denied it to professionals until you were blue in the face.
The evidence of your sexual interest in children is clear and unequivocal. "You must understand the images are disgusting depictions of the sexual abuse of real children. The urge for such images drives the market for them.
" Recorder Smith added: "If you look at a single indecent image of a child again your feet will not touch the ground on the way to prison." Crowley was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period. Get all the latest news from court here.
