Matthew Prescott 30

Description

A 'dangerous' paedophile claimed his images of children being raped were collected by one of his twisted alter egos.

Matthew Prescott told a psychiatrist his latest stash of sickening pictures and video was not his responsibility, but that of 'Alex'.

Alex is one of five personalities the 27-year-old said took over him, claiming: "Alex was just there for himself. I've tried to get rid of him so many times."

Prescott was today jailed after Liverpool Crown Court heard he not only downloaded almost 2,000 videos and pictures, but also shared some of them.

Chris Taylor, prosecuting, said Merseyside Police raided Prescott's St Helens home in June of last year, seizing laptops and mobile phones.

A total of 1,829 indecent videos and images were recovered.

The haul consisted of 240 Category A files - the most serious category showing child rape. Among them was one image involving a newborn baby.

There were 259 Category B images, of boys as young as five to seven, and 1,330 Category C files, of boys as young as three to five.

On a Samsung mobile phone, police discovered the social media app Whisper, which Prescott had used to share around two dozen Category C images.

While under investigation for those offences, officers raided his Cotham Street home again on April 15.

A laptop containing 26 Category C images was seized.

After two no comment interviews he later admitted four counts of downloading, two counts of possessing and one count of distributing indecent images of children.

The offences follow a conviction for three counts of downloading and one count of possessing indecent images of children in 2016.

Then aged 21, he was handed a three-year community order and told to comply with a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

That collection amounted to more than 4,000 images.

At a previous hearing the court was told the defendant claimed his latest crimes were the work of one of his multiple personalities.

That session heard that forensic psychiatrist Dr Lucy Bacon had diagnosed Prescott with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD).

Michael Hagerty, defending, accepted this was not a defence to the charges he had admitted.

He said of his client: "There were significant problems he had as a child, particularly with his father, though that relationship is now good, and there were confusing issues with regard to his relationship with his mother."

Mr Hagerty said Prescott set out claims about having "multiple personalities", but Dr Bacon said this "disassociation" was a common symptom of EUPD.

He said: "Mr Prescott does not look for sympathy in relation to his actions but now he has a diagnosis, rather hopes he will be able to obtain help for his condition, either in a custodial setting, or once he's released."

Sentencing Prescott today the judge, Recorder Ian Unsworth, QC, branded the defendant a dangerous and prolific paedophile.

Mr Unsworth said: "Each and every one of the hundreds if not thousands of children that you have looked at over the years is a victim.

"Each and every one of them is being exploited by other paedophiles, by those who are carrying out their vile abuse upon them, those who are filming them and those who are, like you, viewing them."

Prescott, who appeared via a video link from HMP Altcourse, was sentenced to 30 months in jail and given a lifelong Sexual Harm Prevention Order.