Prison term on hold for `hopeful father` caught with 137,000 indecent child images
A paedophile whose four-year reign of voyeurism amassed more than 137,000 indecent images of children was spared prison because he wanted to start a family with his wife who is still supporting him.
Oct 6, 2016
By Nick Hudson
A paedophile whose four-year reign of voyeurism amassed more than 137,000 indecent images of children was spared prison because he wanted to start a family with his wife who is still supporting him.
Richard Arrowsmith was handed a suspended sentence after telling a judge he hoped to become a father.
The 41-year-old was arrested after Derbyshire Constabulary received a tip-off in February that an IP address linked to his Sky account was used to download the pictures.
Officers executed a warrant at his home in Church Gresley, near Swadlincote in south Derbyshire and seized a computer, external hard drive, laptop, mobile phone and USB sticks on April 19 this year.
The force used a computerised scanning system to check the devices and at least 10,000 indecent images and videos were flagged up.
Due to the amount of movies and images, a large number couldn`t be categorised.
There were 4,336 videos and 137,000 images that remained uncategorised and there were 400 films in category A, 255 films in category B and 186 films and 851 images in category C.
Overall there were 1,692 movies and images ranging from category A to C.
Arrowsmith admitted at Derby Crown Court three charges of possessing indecent images and videos of children over “four years or so” but said he had never distributed or made any images or video.
Sentencing Arrowsmith to a reduced term of ten months, down from 15 months, due to his guilty pleas and suspended for two years Recorder Martin Butterworth, said: “You are 41-years-old, with no previous convictions and you pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
“I am taking into consideration your previous good character, you have a wife who supports you, a steady employment and your hopes to start a family in the near future.
“These are not victimless crimes, they encourage serious abuse of sometimes very young children. You were less than honest about the nature of the images.”
Arrowsmith was ordered to pay £250 costs and carry out 160 hours of unpaid work as well as being made the subject of a curfew restricting him from leaving his house between 7pm and 5am.
He is also banned from working with children and was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register.
Digby Johnson, defending, told the court Arrowsmith and his wife, who was not present in court, were trying for children and wanted to start a family.