A NEWPORT man found with dozens of indecent pictures of children on his mobile phone was yesterday given community service and told to register as a sex offender.
Andrew Marsh, 49, appeared at Cardiff Crown Court after earlier admitting 11 counts of possession of indecent images of children.
Prosecutor John Probert told the court police raided Marsh’s house in Whitstone Road after he left a message on a gay chat line that he sexually abused a boy – a claim which was never substantiated.
The court heard he was arrested at home where officers found 56 pictures on his phone, one level five, which includes sadistic images, 13 level four and the rest were a combination of levels one, two and three.
In interview, he admitted it was his mobile phone and no-one else had access to it.
Mr Probert said Marsh told police the images were sent to him by a man he met on the gay sex line and he didn’t have any interest in them, but used to click through them.
Marsh has no previous convictions or cautions.
Defending, Stephen Jearey said he worked all of his life and was in a stable relationship: “Apart from these circumstances, he’s an ordinary, decent hard-working man.”
Sentencing him, Recorder David Aubrey imposed a three year community order and a three year supervision order, saying: “If you come back before me, you will not get another chance, you will go to custody.”
Marsh was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years, banned from working with children under 18 indefinitely and cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 unless they have a parent or guardian with them.
This does not extend to “unavoidable” contact in public places.
The mobile phone was confiscated and will be destroyed.
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