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05
Jul 2021
Harrogate paedophile who handed himself into police spared jail
A paedophile who downloaded images of young boys being raped has been spared jail because he was taking steps to address his amphetamine problem.
Daniel James Barnes, 31, of Montpellier Road, Harrogate, handed himself in to police and told them he had become “obsessed” with downloading and watching indecent images of children, York Crown Court heard.
He said he had handed himself in as a way of “punishing himself”, said prosecutor Helen Towers.
Police searched his home and seized a laptop on which they found a “collection” of photos and videos featuring children between the ages of six and 14.
Some of the images showed boys as young as six being raped by men, she added.
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Barnes admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and appeared for sentence on Monday.
Ms Chapman said Barnes turned up at Harrogate Police Station in December 2019 and said he had been watching child pornography.
During the subsequent search of his home, officers seized some amphetamine as well as his laptop. A forensic examination of the computer revealed downloads of all levels of seriousness including 73 category A images, 35 category B and four category C. The downloads included both photos and move clips.
High on drugs
Ms Chapman said police found “relevant” internet search terms used by Barnes and it appeared that one such search had occurred just a few hours before he handed himself in.
She said Barnes’ first police interview had to be aborted because he appeared to be “hallucinating” and high on drugs.
In a second interview in March last year, he told police that watching indecent images of children had become an “obsession”.
Ms Towers said:
Barnes subsequently saw a psychiatrist and was diagnosed with various mental-health conditions, partly induced by drug use.
He had two previous convictions for assaulting an emergency worker. One of these occurred at the point of his arrest for the illegal images, when he attacked a police officer. The other occurred 10 months later.
Andrew Stranex, representing Barnes, said his client acknowledged that he needed help, primarily for drug abuse.
Sex offenders register
Recorder Anthony Hawks said he could spare Barnes jail because he had a “number of difficulties that are being addressed”.
But he warned Barnes:
Mr Hawks described the images as “filth” but said it would be better for Barnes to serve his punishment in the community where he could continue to get help from Horizons drug support agency.
Barnes was given a three-year community order under the auspices of the Probation Service and ordered to complete a sexual offenders’ treatment programme, along with a 30-day rehabilitation course.
He was ordered to sign on the sex offenders register for five years and made subject to a five-year sexual-harm prevention order to curb his internet activities.
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