Locations
Chamberlain Road, Exeter, Devon, EX2
Description
Police seized his computers and found he had been searching the internet for depraved videos and images showing the sexual abuse of girls, some as young as three years old
Facebook helped police track down an Exmouth paedophile who downloaded images of child sex abuse.
The internet giant reported suspicious activity on the account of Neil Rhodes and Devon and Cornwall Police arrested him.
They seized his computers and found he had been searching the internet for depraved videos and images showing the sexual abuse of girls, some as young as three years old.
They also uncovered an online chat relationship he was having with a teenage girl in which he persuaded her to send him naked photos of herself.
Exeter Crown Court was told the girl broke off contact when she discovered he had been lying to her and was in a steady relationship with a woman his own age.
The 34-year-old, of Chamberlain Road, was spared jail and given a 12-month suspended sentence for two offences.
He admitted making indecent photos of children and engaging in sexual communication with a child.
Prosecutor Mr Garth Richardson said a referral was made to police by Facebook about indecent images of children from the internet that could be traced to the defendant's IP address.
Police searched his home address on April 30, 2019 and seized several devices. Indecent images were found on a number of machines. They included the rape and abuse of children by adults in the most serious category.
The age range of the child victims was between three and 15.
Analysis of search terms used on the devices showed Rhodes had a sexual interest in children. One photo album on his phone had been disguised as a calculator app.
Messages showed Rhodes had been in communication with a girl since she was 14. They had never met but used Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facetime and texts to stay in touch until she was 19.
They shared sexual images of one another.
The girl said in a statement he would ask her for sexual images and videos in every conversation. She considered the pair to be in a relationship and said she had not been forced into anything.
But she had been vulnerable when he first contacted her. He had appeared caring but she realised by the end 'all he wanted was sexual photos and videos'.
Mr Warren Robinson, in mitigation, said the offences had happened some time ago and Rhodes had referred himself to organisations who could help him understand his behaviour.
Judge Timothy Rose said his actions had been 'profoundly disturbing' but he accepted Rhodes now understood that and was sorry.
"It took place over a three year period and over the same period of time you commenced some form of online relationship with a real person came to know," said the judge.
"You were twice her age and should never have been doing it in the first place."
Rhodes was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years. He must sign the sex offender register for 10 years and was made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his use of the internet for the same period.
He must do the Horizon sex offender programme for 40 days and 30 days rehabilitation with probation.