James Mercer 43

Description

A paedophile collected nearly 2,000 "horrific" child rape and abuse images.

James Mercer was hit with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2013 after he was caught with a sick stash of indecent images of children. The decade-long order prevented him from accessing the internet unless he retained the browsing history and made it available for inspection by police.

But when officers performed a routine check on his computer equipment as part of the SOPO, they discovered another library of "appalling" photos. The 41-year-old, of Ashburn Avenue, Tower Hill, Kirkby, later admitted possessing 1,997 indecent images of children.

According to the charge, he downloaded the files over a near three-year period between May 16, 2018 and March 17, 2021. Mercer admitted downloading 368 Category A images - the most serious category involving child rape - plus 323 Category B and 1,306 Category C files.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he also pleaded guilty to possessing seven prohibited [cartoon or animated] images of a child. Prosecutors said Mercer was not in fact in breach of the SOPO, as the sex offender had not deleted or attempted to manipulate his search history.

The judge, Recorder Michael Taylor, said his previous convictions were an aggravating feature of the case. He decided the offences were so serious that only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate.

Recorder Taylor jailed Mercer for 12 months and made him subject to a new indefinite SOPO. The judge told Mercer he must sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Speaking after the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: "Every child featured in these indecent images is a victim of horrific abuse. The demand created for this appalling material by offenders like James Mercer means he shares responsibility for their terrible experiences.

"The NSPCC is determined to ensure the Government's upcoming Online Safety Bill is strengthened to prevent offenders like Mercer from using the online world as a gateway to abuse children."