Internet ban for Mark Rolland Seel overturned

A Norwich man banned from the internet after he was jailed for downloading child porn onto his mobile phone had the order overturned by top judges.

Mark Rolland Seel, 35, was jailed for 15 months at Norwich Crown Court in June after admitting two counts of possessing indecent images of children. The obscene photos were discovered on his mobile phone after he accessed them online.

Seel, of Thorpe Road, Norwich, was also banned from working with children, and subjected to a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) which he successfully challenged in London's Appeal Court.

The order barred him from ?using any electronic device capable of accessing the Internet?, said Mr Justice Simon, which his lawyers claimed was too Draconian and far-reaching.

They argued that the Internet is an essential aspect of daily life and that the order would effectively bar the university graduate from securing ?any employment involving a computer?.

Mr Justice Simon, sitting with Sir John May and Mr Justice Beatson, accepted that the order was too severe and failed to properly ?focus on the nature of the offences?.

The judge substituted an order barring Seel from ?downloading any material from the Internet other than for lawful purposes or lawful study?.

The new order also prohibits him from using any electronic equipment to ?engage in discussions concerning sexual activity with children under-16 or to receive and send such material?.

As reported in June Seel, once dubbed ?one of the world's biggest child porn pedlars? had a string of previous convictions for downloading thousands of pictures of children being abused. When he was caught in 2005 police found that his obscene stash took up 95pc of his computer's memory.

Seel had only recently been released from a four year prison sentence when he appeared in court in June to admit the offences of possessing indecent photos of children and asked for a similar offence, involving 172 images, to be taken into consideration.

The then 34-year-old had been banned from using the internet in a bid to stop him sharing porn with others.

But police discovered he was using his mobile phone in a bid to avoid detection. His previous crimes include making and possessing some of the worst imaginable images of children.

Norwich Evening News