Locations
Hall Lane, North Walsham, NR28
Description
A convicted sex offender was caught with over 1,500 indecent images of children while under police supervision following his release from prison for similar offenses.
Anthony Beresford was monitored by the police's public protection unit (PPU) after serving a 14-month sentence imposed in 2020 for indecent images crimes.
Norwich Crown Court heard that during a July 2022 visit, officers found he had a KIK social media account and a laptop, breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) from his 2020 sentence.
Prosecutor Peter Gair said the device contained 359 Category A images—the most serious—along with 612 Category B and 552 Category C images.
Beresford, of Hall Lane, North Walsham, appeared in court on Thursday (January 15) after admitting the indecent images offenses and SHPO breach.
Judge David Pugh noted Beresford, who runs a business selling 1980s computer equipment online, had "accessed vast numbers of indecent images of children."
However, imposing a 14-month suspended sentence for 24 months, Judge Pugh accepted the offending occurred over three years ago and had not been repeated.
Mitigating barrister Andrew Oliver said Beresford uploaded images to his phone but did not realize they were on the laptop.
"He thought the images uploaded to his phone had been deleted," said Mr. Oliver.
Mr. Oliver added that Beresford accepted the offenses, showed "insight" into his behavior, and committed them over three years ago during a marital separation.
He explained Beresford was accessing social media into the "very early hours," which was the "trigger for this offending."
Beresford was ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, up to 15 days of Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR), and an accredited program of up to 26 sessions.
He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and subjected to a 10-year SHPO.