Locations
Wolverhampton Road, Wedges Mills, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11
Description
A judge said it was one of the most serious cases he has dealt with
A lonely 24-year-old pervert downloaded thousands of indecent images and videos of girls as young as six - many of which featured children being raped.
Police raided the home of Joseph Tinkler on three separate occasions, each time finding dozens and then thousands of vile images and videos of children being sexually assaulted or raped by adults.
In court, prosecutor Jamie Scott had to go into grave detail about examples of images Tinkler had been downloading which led the judge in the case to say: "I sadly deal with these cases every week but I don't often come by a really serious case as this.
"This is some of the most grotesque abuse of children, some of who have been violently raped."
Tinkler appeared at Stafford Crown Court from HMP Dovegate in Marchington on Thursday, February 24, and pleaded guilty to 11 charges of downloading indecent images of children - totalling thousands, and possession of images of the sexual abuse of an animal.
Tinkler, of Wolverhampton Road, Wedges Mills, Cannock, had ignored police warnings on the first and second occasions he was caught. Each time he was bailed by the courts, the hearing was told.
Police searched his home on September 15, 2020, and seized an iPhone, a computer tower and an iPad.
On the phone and iPad, Mr Scott said police found 234 Category A images which are the most serious kind; 307 Category B and 556 Category C.
He said: "The child victims were between six and 14 years old, and girls aged between 7 and 10 being raped.
He said in the computer tower, police found 507 videos and 364 images which were Category A; 228 videos and 327 images of Category B; and 157 videos and 2,135 images of Category C. They also found 67 videos of the sexual abuse of animals and nine images.
Mr Scott continued: "After his first arrest he issued no comment during interview and was bailed.
"Following further intelligence, a police warrant was executed on April 28, 2021. On a mobile 25 computer generated images of children were found, aged between 10 and 12 years being raped."
The court heard that the final warrant was executed on November 4, 2021 and yet more images and videos were found.
Police also found phone messages between Tinkler and a paedophile about the violent rape of children.
His defence solicitor Stephen Rudge told the court: "He is well aware of the seriousness of the case after, since his arrest, pushing the boundaries further and further.
"He is a young man who is still immature and despite his education and employment, he found sexual solace in these images on the internet and foolishly not taking the police warning and continuing to satisfy his sexual desire.
"I hope he will take on board the help offered to him in prison. He is willing to apply himself because he recognises it is an an addiction and a sickness.
"He has been frank with the author of the pre-sentence report. He is a lonely young man without a girlfriend.
"Sadly he moved on from adult porn. He is someone who can change, who is willing to change and given the right guidance in prison will change."
Tinkler was jailed for four-and-a-half years and will be made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely which prevents him from accessing internet enabled devices, and will register as a sex offender.