Locations
Leybourne Terrace, Stockton-On-Tees, Durham, TS18
Description
A judge ruled that Stephen Midgley, 27, is a 'dangerous offender' and gave him an extended 10 year sentence
A "dangerous" paedophile was caught with hundreds of child abuse images - some showing 'distressed' tots as young as two.
A judge ruled that repeat offender Stephen Midgley, 27, poses a high risk of re-offending, with a "fixation on pre-pubescent girls", and gave him an extended 10 year prison sentence.
Teesside Crown Court heard the collection of images showed sexual abuse of kids, some mere toddlers, with many of the horrific details too graphic to publish.
Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said two mobile phones belonging to the defendant had been found to contain child abuse images, including two-and-a-half hours of video in the most serious category.
It was also discovered he was using an email address to send "depraved" images to another pervert.
Images on the second seized mobile phone included pictures of boys and girls being abused, ranging from ages two to 11.
Midgley appeared to be sentenced for 12 offences in total - three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children, one of failing to comply with a notification requirement, two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) and three of possessing indecent photographs.
He pleaded guilty to the offences.
Midgley was previously locked up for three years and four months in 2015 after being caught downloading and sending pictures and videos of child abuse for the second time in 18 months.
Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said a psychological report had found his client had an IQ of just 71, "had it been one less he would have been somebody who came within a category of learning disabled", he said.
He said: "This defendant's main mitigation is his guilty plea in respect of each count."
He added: "Having been caught he has assisted.
"On each occasion he has told police there are images on the phone.
"He hasn't sought to hide anything, beside hiding the initial phones."
He asked the court not to class him as a dangerous offender and say this is the "last chance saloon".
But pointing to the psychological report and Midgley's previous offences, judge Stephen Ashurst said he was a "dangerous offender" and would be getting an extended prison term.
He said: "The images are of a particularly depraved nature.
"They include the rape and abuse of very young children indeed by adult offenders."
Midgley, of Leybourn Terrace, Stockton, was ordered to serve six years in custody, plus fours years on licence for distributing indecent images.
He was also given a two year concurrent sentence for the other offences.
A new SHPO was made indefinitely.