Judge refuses to ban paedophile from taking photos of children because it would infringe his right to take pictures of TREES
Even after he was caught with 14,000 child sex abuse images
- Martin Taylor, 52, was caught with 14,000 indecent images of children
- Also had 8,000 images of children taken around home town of Driffield
- Crown asked judge to ban him from taking pictures of anyone under 18
- But judge, sentencing him to two years, said he can’t as it is not a crime
A judge has refused to ban a paedophile from taking pictures of children as it would infringe his right to take innocent pictures of trees.
Police raided Martin Taylor’s home in Driffield and found 8,000 images of children under 16 taken in public places around the town in east Yorkshire.
They added to 14,000 indecent images of children in the same folder, which included some of young girls and boys enduring satanic abuse and sexual torture.
While the images he took himself were not indecent, they were all of under-16s and he mainly focused his lens on girls around the age of 13, a court heard.
When asked why he had the images, Taylor, 52, said: ‘Because I like them,’ last week as he pleaded guilty to six counts of possessing and making indecent images.
Crown barrister Richard Thompson asked the judge to add a condition to the Sexual Offences Prevention Order, banning him from taking pictures of anyone under 18 without a parent’s permission.
But Judge Jeremy Richardson QC refused to ban him from taking more images as he sentenced him to two-and-a-half years as it could ’cause problems’ when he reforms.
Judge Richardson said: ‘Taking a picture of a child is not illegal. It may be undesirable in this man’s context, but prohibiting him taking picture is storing up problems.
‘Let us say in four or five years time when he reforms himself he has a legitimate interest in taking a photograph of trees and he is going out in a public place and there is an 11-year-old girl playing in a park.
Taking a picture of a child is not illegal
Judge Richardson
‘There is nothing unlawful of taking a photo. The idea of stopping him taking photos will cause all sorts of problems. My sentencing powers are limited.’
Defence barrister Paul Norton, for Taylor, said he accepted this was a serious case and the judge would be considering a higher starting point for sentence than usual.
He urged the judge to consider sending Taylor, who has two grown up daughters, on the Northumbria Sex Offenders’ Programme.
Mr Norton said: ‘Sending him to prison will have a significant impact on his life. He wanted to move and put his house on the market.
They added to 14,000 indecent images of children in the same folder, which included some of young girls and boys enduring satanic abuse and sexual torture
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They added to 14,000 indecent images of children in the same folder, which included some of young girls and boys enduring satanic abuse and sexual torture
‘He wanted to move to a remote location. However, since he declared these offences he had been declined house and car insurance. He has had to take his house off the market.’
Sentencing Taylor, Judge Richardson told him: ‘This is a very serious case of it kind. The images you had involve the sexual torture of children. You had those images for your own perverted sexual gratification. That defies understanding of most right thinking individuals.
You had those images for your own perverted sexual gratification
Judge Jeremy Richardson
‘These were real children suffering gross abuse. These images will always be available on the internet. The level of suffering was extreme. The sexual debauchery was grotesque. You had this unimaginable vile material in your possession to satisfy your sexual depravity.’
‘One of the most aggravating features was you had 8,000 photographs taken of young people in your around Driffield. It is important to state none of these local children were pictured in a pornographic or unlawful way.
‘It is important to record that fact. However, you had those images and I have every reason to suspect you had sexual fantasies about those children. I don’t want there to be panic or alarm of those people living in the Driffield area.’
Taylor who has two grown up daughters has been put on the main wing at Hull Prison. He has been made the subjected of a lifetime Sexual Offenders’ Prevention Order.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3832922/Judge-refuses-ban-paedophile-taking-photos-children-caught-14-000-child-sex-abuse-images-infringe-right-pictures-TREES.html#ixzz4MnmnLYav
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