Child porn man Matthew Mason banned from using the Internet

A man who admitted downloading child porn has been banned by a court from having internet access at his home.

Matthew Mason was found with a total of 138 child porn pictures or pseudo images on his computer, Preston Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Clare Thomas said one of the images had been of a level five category, the most serious and nine were of level four.

Mason told officers after his arrest last November that he had only downloaded adult porn on his computer, but denied subscribing to child porn.

However, Miss Thomas told the court, a few days later he walked into a police station and admitted joining a child porn website.

Mason, 25, of Round Acre Salmesbury near Preston, pleaded guilty to 12 charges regarding indecent material.

Philip Curran on his behalf told the court that Mason had worked, "helping the local community" but there was no suggestion he had done anything wrong during employment.

He had no previous convictions and admitted his guilt immediately.

The Recorder of Preston, Judge Anthony Russell QC, said the offences were serious because without people such as Mason being willing to view such material, young children would not be abused in the way depicted in the images.

He had considered an immediate prison sentence but had decided Mason was "motivated to seek help".

Judge Russell sentenced him to a two-year community order with a requirement to attend an internet sex offenders programme.

Failure to attend could mean he was re-sentenced.

LEP