Lewis Chapman 21

Description

A man has avoided jail after he was caught with sexual abuse images of "very young children".

Lewis Chapman started downloading the vile material in 2019 when he was underage himself but continued into early adulthood.

A court heard that the 21-year-old's electronic devices were seized by police when intelligence indicated that the photos were being downloaded at his Ryton home. A total of 26 abuse pictures, including seven category A, which are the most serious kind and involve penetrative sexual activity, were later found on his mobile phone.

Chapman has now been given an 18-month community order after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children at Newcastle Magistrates' Court. District Judge Kate Meek told him: "The images did involve very young children, which aggravates the case.

"They did involve category A images, which are the most serious. In your case, you were 14 when this started and, for the vast majority of the time, you were under the age of 18.

"You're a vulnerable young person. I don't doubt that you became involved in these chatrooms and this world at a very early age when nobody at that age should be and you were taken advantage of. You had a disruptive childhood."

The court heard that Chapman started downloading the images in 2019 and his devices were seized by police in 2023. Paul Coulson, prosecuting, said: "On August 3, police attended the defendant's address after receiving intelligence that someone inside the address had been downloading indecent images of children.

"The defendant's mobile phone was identified as being responsible and it was seized, along with other items, including a tablet and charger. They were analysed and forensically examined."

Steven Linsdell-Bell, defending, said Chapman, who has no past convictions, was a youth himself through the majority of the offending. He added: "He naively searched items that people were talking to him about. He didn't understand what those items were."

Chapman was also fined £250, must pay £250 costs and a £114 victim surcharge and must sign the sex offenders register for five years.