Family of perverted Leeds accountant reported him to police after finding abuse images on computer

Respectable accountant Richard Newton was finally caught out when a horrified family member found a number of sick photos that he had been downloading and stockpiling for years.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the 52-year-old has since lost his home, his family and his job.

Prosecutor Oliver Connor said in November 2020 a relative had turned on the family laptop and was confronted by three pictures of a naked girl in a spreadsheet.

Newton denied it was him and claimed it "must have been hacker" who placed the images on the computer, Mr Connor said.

They eventually informed the authorities and the police moved to arrest him, seizing his internet devices.

They found more than 1,000 images and videos, including 73 Category A photos and videos, depicting the worst kind of abuse. There were also 18 Category B and 937 Category C.

Data retrieved suggested he began downloading the files in August 2011, and contained images and videos of children as young as three being abused.

Newton, now of School Road, Hemingborough, North Yorkshire, gave a prepared statement during his police interview, and then refused to answer further questions. He later admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

Mitigating, Rukhshanda Hussain said: "This is a defendant who fully accepts he sought out child abuse images, who has a predilection and wants help for that. He is remorseful and ashamed of his behaviour.

"He has lost contact with his family, his family home and his job as an accountant which he had for 15 years."

She said he is now working as forklift truck driver and has completed an online course into his offending. He has no previous convictions.

The judge, Recorder David Gordon gave him a 10-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, given 100 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days. He was also put on the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to limit his internet use and ban him from unsupervised contact with children.