James Russell 42

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Former DJ James Russell 'is disgusted with himself' after distributing vile footage of 'extremely young' children

A former DJ has been jailed for sharing videos of babies being raped with fellow paedophiles.

James Russell turned to drink, drugs and sharing child sex abuse images after his fiance left him, Bristol Crown Court heard. And when he sent on movies of babies being raped he claimed he was the rapist.

But when police caught up with the 36-year-old, he told them the suggestion had just been fantasy.

Russell, of Leinster Avenue in Knowle West, pleaded guilty to three charges of making an indecent image of a child and two charges of distributing an indecent image of a child.

Judge Euan Ambrose jailed him for two years.

He told Russell: The most striking feature was the extremely young age of the children involved in the worst of this material, which was also material you chose to distribute.

Russell was handed a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, designed to stop his reoffending.

He was told to register as a sex offender and his computer equipment was destroyed.

Caighli Taylor, prosecuting, said police established that child abuse material was downloaded to a digital address linked to Russell.

When police knocked on his door he told them: Its on there. Im going to be honest, its me, its on there.

Russell was found to have 171 pictures at the most serious Category A level of concern depicting sexual abuse of children, including 18 movies.

Miss Taylor said ages of youngsters being abused ranged from 18 months to nine.

She said Russell had distributed two Category A movies to two recipients. They each showed a baby being raped.

She told the court: It is clear Mr Russell was engaging with one person, suggesting he was the abuser in the video.

In interview he said that was just fantasy. There is no suggestion he had been involved in that.

Katie Jenkins, defending, said after her clients fiance left him he drank heavily, took cocaine and viewed child abuse material.

Miss Jenkins said Russell, who used to spend time as a DJ, spiralled into depression and was too embarrassed to get help.

She said: He was frightened about what would happen if he disclosed to his GP what was taking place.

He is disgusted with himself. For a long time he was, in many ways, in denial.