Burglar given extra jail term (From Swindon Advertiser)

Burglar given extra jail term

9:30am Wednesday 5th September 2012 in News

A MAN who is serving time for burglary has had his jail term extended after police found images of child sex abuse on his computer.

Benjamin Thompson, 34, formerly of Stanford Close, Toothill , is more than halfway through the custodial part of a three-and-a-half year jail term imposed last autumn as he was a three strike burglar.

Now, that has been added to after movies and pictures of child abuse were found on his computer.

But Judge Douglas Field , sitting at Swindon Crown Court, said he would halve the extra sentence to reflect the time he had already spent behind bars on the other matters.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, said officers found hundreds of images of child sex abuse on his computer in August 2010.

During the preceding eight months he had amassed 1,107 indecent images of children at all levels of seriousness.

He also had prohibited images of children and 108 pieces of extreme adult pornography, which showed bestiality.

Thompson admitted five counts of making and one of possessing indecent images of children.

He also admitted having prohibited images of children and possessing extreme adult pornography.

The court heard he was jailed last year and received a concurrent term of one year in February for another burglary.

He initially denied the matters but changed his pleas to admit what he had done, and the judge said he would give him a one quarter discount on sentence.

Chris Smyth, defending, said his client’s offending was against the background of a long-term drug addiction.

He said Thompson was privately educated and had started A levels before dropping out.

“He has been recognised as the failure of the family. He has got to pull himself together,” he said.

Passing sentence the judge said: “You are 34 years of age and you have a long record for offences of dishonesty: this is the first time you have been convicted of a sexual offence. “This offence should merit, with your discount, 10 months custody. In view of the fact that you have already spent some time in custody and are not due to be released until May, I will halve that but it will be consecutive to your sentence.”

He also imposed a sexual offence prevention order for 10 years telling him he must allow the police to examine any internet use.

He must also register as a sex offender for seven years.