Locations
Henry Nelson Street, South Shields, Tyne And Wear, NE33
Description
Stomach-churning indecent images showing babies being sexually abused were among a vile collection found in the possession of a perverted loner.
Police officers from the Paedophile Online Investigation Team went to Forhad Faruque's home and executed a search warrant on December 29 2021, seizing electronic devices and he provided them with login details for a cloud account.
Faruque, 41, of Henry Nelson Street, South Shields, was found to have 866 of the most serious, category A images, including 648 videos, 423 category B images, including 145 videos and 470 category C images, including 24 videos.
Four videos showed babies aged between one month and three months "in a state of distress" being sexually abused. Nick Lane, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court: "The children were a matter of weeks old in some cases and some of the children are clearly in discernible pain and distress."
The court heard one of the images showed a naked boy while another showed a young girl, and there was also extreme pornography involving a dog.
Faruque pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images, possessing a prohibited image and possessing extreme pornography. He was sentenced to two years suspended for two years with £400 costs. He will also be subject to sex offender registration and a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Judge Gavin Doig told him they were "gross" offences and added: "I've read in your letter you are thoroughly ashamed of yourself and frankly so you should be.
"The details of the images you chose to view are stomach-churning and anyone listening would think anyone who views such material deserves only one thing and that is custody." The judge said he initially intended to lock him up before reading more about him but said: "You could have no complaints if I imposed an immediate custodial sentence."
Ian Hudson, defending, said: "He is a loner and single. He is willing to engage and is ashamed by his behaviour.
"He has got on his bike to do something about it to stop this behaviour." Mr Hudson explained that Faruque has completed a programme aimed at stopping any repeat of the offending in the future and has also paid for counselling sessions.
He said he had suffered trauma as a child and added that if he was locked up: "The vultures at Durham would be waiting for him and he would be vulnerable."