David Allison 54

Description

More than 500,000 images showing children of a variety of ages were recovered from David Allison's computer equipment

A man who hoarded more than half a million indecent images of children, including some photos taken at a school and showing girls' underwear, has been jailed for three years.

David Allison, of Moat Court, Shaw Close, Ottershaw, was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court last Friday (January 26), after previously pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent photos of a child, one count of taking images of a child and two counts of voyeurism by installing equipment or constructing or adapting a structure.

The 48-year-old was arrested on November 29 last year in an intelligence-led search warrant at his home.

Police recovered more than 500,000 indecent images showing children of a variety of ages from Allison's computer equipment.

They included 5,038 category A images - the worst level - 8,693 category B images and 84,300 category C images.

The court heard there were so many photos that police have not yet had time to look through them all since Allison's arrest.

He took photos on his camera, but also with a camera pen and on his iPad.

On one occasion Allison left the camera on his iPad poking out of the top of a bag while recording, the court was told.

Lee Harris, prosecuting, said: "He would put it in a camera bag with the camera poking out the top and leave it in a place where it could film in the school.

"It was premeditated and the stills were opportunist. There was one picture in particular of a person getting changed in a school classroom," Mr Harris added.

Allison appeared for sentencing via video link from HMP High Down and sat with his head bowed throughout most of the hearing.

Mr Harris continued: "He accepted he was responsible for downloading the images and also admitted he recently accessed a live streaming website but felt he was crossing a line.

"He kept the images and movies on a single hard drive and one day said he would draw a line in it and put the disc through the shredder."

Summing up, Judge Robert Fraser said: "It is very clear no-one knew what you were doing. This was by a very clear description very concerning."

'Ashamed and disgusted'

Sarah Read, defending, said Allison, an ex-teacher, fully understood he needed to be punished.

"He is deeply ashamed and disgusted in himself and is aware fully of the far-reaching impact on those that are affected," she told the court.

"There will have been plenty of people who would have been impacted positively by him and he knows fully well those people will be shocked to see where he is now."

Allison was also handed a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.