IT WAS JAIL for Martin Sparks, 47 of Maldon Walk, Redbridge – after he was found guilty of downloading and viewing over 200 indecent images of children. The offences were committed while he was under a suspended sentence for committing the same offence in 2018.
Sparks had pleaded guilty to various charges of making indecent images of children, and to five counts of breaching an earlier Sexual Harm Prevention Order, at Snaresbrook Crown Court last summer. He returned to the Court at the end of last month for sentencing. He was given two years and four months’ in prison and also received an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO). The Court also ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.
Sometimes offenders claim that viewing pictures or videos of children is not a serious crime. On the contrary, one or more children were abused to make the image that are downloaded in the first place. Pictures are not harmless: they are records of abuse that has taken place.
Detective Constable James Cavenham, the investigating officer, said, “Sparks is now behind bars after committing the same hideous offence once again. The evidence we gathered against him meant he had no option but to plead guilty. Although this is not a contact offence, every single image contains a child who is a victim of an appalling crime and when people like Sparks seek these images out, they continue to generate a market for this type of abuse. The Met will continue to relentlessly pursue and bring to justice those who download online images of child sexual abuse.”
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