November 2026

Pervert avoids prison for child rape images

A former Tesco worker who downloaded hundreds of indecent images of children and shared them with others has walked free from court with a suspended prison sentence.

Jake Quinney, 30, of Colchester, had 846 indecent images of children on his phone, including 496 in Category A—the most serious category.

Ipswich Crown Court heard that Quinney used messaging apps to distribute the material, admitting that he sent files in bulk, sometimes in batches of 100 at a time.

Despite the scale of his offending, he was given a two-year-and-four-month prison sentence, suspended for the same period.

Police arrested Quinney in December after intelligence linked the downloading of indecent images to devices at his then address in Nelson Road, Colchester.

Officers seized a Samsung phone containing:

– 496 Category A images

– 175 Category B images

– 175 Category C images

The phone also contained images depicting bestiality. A tablet seized by police could not be examined because it was broken.

Quinney admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, three counts of distributing indecent images of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image. In this context, “making” can include downloading or saving an image.

Every indecent image of a child represents exploitation. Sharing those images spreads the harm further, allowing records of abuse to circulate and be viewed repeatedly.

The court heard that Quinney had been open with police about his offending. His barrister said he had lost his job at Tesco, his accommodation and contact with his siblings.

Judge David Pugh said Quinney would have faced immediate custody had he denied the offences and been found guilty after a trial. Instead, the judge suspended his prison sentence.

Quinney must also complete 200 hours of unpaid work, a probation requirement and 26 sessions of an accredited programme. He is subject to a sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements for ten years.