Northampton man given community order after possessing more than 4,000 indecent images of children

A Northampton man has been given a community order after police discovered thousands of indecent images of children at his home.

Kevin Collings, aged 56, of Grove Road, appeared at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, May 27, after pleading guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and three counts of making indecent photographs of children.

The court heard that police, after receiving electronic intelligence, conducted a search warrant of Collings’ Northampton home on October 18, 2018. There, officers seized computer equipment containing 4,802 indecent images of children.

The images - downloaded from the internet - dated back to November 2006 and included videos of teenagers as well as children as young as 10 years old.

James Smith-Wilds, prosecuting, said Collings was “fully co-operative at all times” with the police, handing all devices and passwords over.

The court heard that, when interviewed, Collings made “full admission” to his offences and claimed he is “addicted” to pornography.

Liam Muir, in mitigation, told the court that Collings is “desperate for help” and is of good character with no previous convictions.

Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, sentencing, said: “You have said you are very ashamed.

“You deny a sexual interest in children but I don’t think you are being honest. You have been open otherwise fully admitting to these offences.”

Collings was given a 24 month community order and he was ordered to attend 50 rehabilitation requirement days.

Collings has been placed on the sex offenders register for five years and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for five years.