Locations
North Street, Bridgtown, Cannock, Staffordshire, WS11
Description
A 42-year-old pervert told police he was a paedophile hunter after he was caught with dozens of indecent images of children, a court heard.
Ian Manderfield told police he was sending out indecent images of children in order to "snare" paedophile hunters - but they were all his own images.
Manderfield even tried to escape from police after he was detained at his home.
He appeared at Stafford Crown Court, where he admitted eight charges relating to the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.
The court was told police went to his home, but he escaped and ran about 300m before being detained. His mobile was seized, but it later transpired it was not his personal phone, which had been hidden at home.
One message sent by Manderfield told someone he was getting sexual pleasure from looking at children.
He told police he was a paedophile hunter and was using the images to track paedophiles and was sending material to four other people via WhatsApp.
The court was told Manderfield "had not buried his head in the sand" and was taking steps to address his behaviour, for which he has apologised.
He is getting help through the Lucy Faithful Foundation, which works to prevent child sexual abuse, and his new partner is standing by him.
Jailing him for 46 months, Judge Jonathan Gosling told Manderfield: "You were sending messages to multiple users. You pretended this was to catch an online paedophiles which is a ridiculous lie which you have now abandoned.
"There were 37 images and videos Category A of children as young as two - and images and videos of torture and mutilation. I have dealt with many of these cases, but even I was surprised at the exceptional depravity.
"You know the danger you have caused. You did that by indulging your own perverted mind."
Manderfield will also sign the sex offenders register for life and was made the subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.
Manderfield's charges in full
Manderfield, of North Street, Cannock, admitted distributing 22 Category C images of children and making 34 photographs and videos of children, which were also Category C.
He also admitted making 37 photographs and videos of children and distributing two images of children, which were all Category B.
A third charge he pleaded guilty to was making 37 photographs and videos of children and distributing 24 images of children, which were all Category A - the most serious category.
Manderfield admitted possession of six extreme pornographic images, which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character and portrayed in an explicit and realistic way a people performing acts of intercourse or oral sex with animals.
He pleaded guilty to another charge of possession of three extreme pornographic images which were grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character and portrayed in an explicit and realistic way acts which threatened people's lives.
His final charge was publishing a series of messages of an obscene sexual nature about, and including, photographs of children.