December 2009

Three year order for animal porn

A man who downloaded videos of women having intercourse with animals will serve his sentence in the community.

Mark Saward Galliano, 64, of Keysoe Row East, Keysoe, was given a three year community order at Bedford Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Last month, he pleaded guilty to five offences of possessing extreme pornographic images portraying an act of intercourse/oral sex with an animal.

Three of the charges related to images of a woman having sex with a dog and the other two were images of a woman having intercourse and oral sex with a horse.

Galliano also asked for 25 other similar offences to be taken into consideration.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed that the case was the first of its kind in Bedfordshire.

The court heard that on September 10, officers attended Galliano’s home because he was subject to the sex offender’s register after being cautioned for possessing an indecent image of a child.

Mr Earnscliffe said: “They had a conversation with him about the types of images he searched for on his computer. One of the officers told him that looking at images of bestiality had been an offence since January this year.” 

The court heard that Galliano’s computer was seized and 30 videos were discovered.

His barrister Andrew Wagstaff said that Galliano, a man of previous good character, feels deep remorse because he had ‘done something illegal’. He added: “A man in his position cannot but be ashamed.

“He feels remorse at the distress he has caused to his family, friends and staff by these guilty pleas being public knowledge.

“It is something which is going to have an impact on him and others around him. He does have the support of his family and his daughter and son-in-law are here in court.” 

Galliano also had to pay £85 costs and the magistrates ordered that his computer be destroyed.