Timothy Garvey 32

Description

A high-flying university student who gorged himself on a diet of pornography has been jailed.

Timothy Garvey downloaded images of young children being sexually abused by adults, Preston Crown Court was told.

The pictures were so horrible a trial heard that fellow students who accidentally came across them in shared accommodation immediately called in police.

Garvey, 21, was studying English Language and Linguistics at Lancaster University and living above The Royal Hotel in the city when the offences came to light.

He denied 10 charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child but was convicted by a jury after a three day trial.

Garvey maintained he had been sent the material unsolicited by e-mail and had not viewed them.

But the court was told by Iain Simkin, defending, that he now accepted his guilt and knew he had done wrong.

After leaving home and going into accommodation he had gorged himself on a diet of pornography, Mr Simkin told the court.

It was accepted the images were revolting.

For Garvey, a man with no previous convictions and a promising future up to his conviction, prison would be particularly hard on him, added Mr Simkin. But Judge David Boulton, who sentenced Garvey to four months in prison, said the victims were young children who had been horribly abused for the purpose of others watching them.

The similar cases resulting from the huge FBI investigation into worldwide internet porn had led to the Court of Appeal setting sentencing guidelines, explained the judge.

A prison term was inevitable whatever his personal circumstances, the judge told Garvey.

A spokesman for Lancaster Police said: The sentence reflects te seriousness of the crime and should act as a deterrent to others participating in this type of activity.