Philip Thompson Admits he is a Child Porn 'Librarian'

One of the leaders of an international paedophile ring, who called himself "the librarian" due to his extensive collection of child pornography, could be freed after less than four years despite admitting 27 charges today.

Philip Thompson, who lived at home with his mother, was responsible for a website that catalogued around 250,000 images of child abuse. The 27-year-old's arrest prompted one of the biggest ever seizures of pornography in the UK.

Teesside Crown Court heard today that the internet-based child abuse ring reached at least 33 countries over the five years Thompson was involved.

Judge Michael Taylor said Thompson posed a very "significant risk" to the public, but he was given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of just three years and nine months. Under the terms of an indeterminate sentence, he will have to prove to a parole board that he is no longer a danger to the public before he can be freed.

"You have shown that you are a very dangerous individual indeed. I consider that you pose a very significant risk to the public and you are a dangerous offender," said the judge.

Thompson, of Gooseport Road, Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, pleaded guilty to 27 charges, which included 16 counts of making indecent photographs of children, seven counts of distributing indecent photographs of children and one count of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said that police raided Thompson?s home in February this year and recovered two desktop computers and a laptop.

"Forensic analysis by computer experts established that the defendant had 241,000 indecent photographs of children, being one of the largest seizures of indecent photographs in the UK," he said.

Thompson was the moderator for an online forum used by paedophiles across the world to trade in child pornography, the court heard.

Mr Hadfield told the court: "The defendant?s role was to police the website, which gave him the opportunity to transfer these images to his computer.

"The evidence recovered from his computer showed he had amassed a vast collection of indecent photographs of children.

"It appeared the defendant kept some of the most serious images to use as trading chips."

Of the near 250,000 images on Thompson?s computers, more than 3,000 were of the worst kind of child abuse, rated as levels four and five by officials.

During police interviews, Thompson admitted sharing the pornographic images with thousands of people across the world.

"The Crown would say that this collection of indecent photographs and the subsequent police investigation revealed that this defendant has been involved in the distribution of these photographs for the last four or five years," Mr Hadfield said.

He added that 51 arrests had been made as a result of the investigation into Thompson and inquiries were continuing.

Times Online