June 2008 No prison term for child porn on sex offender’s laptop A convicted sex offender has avoided jail despite police finding indecent images of children when they checked his laptop. David Bayliss, 56, was jailed for 12 months in May 2006 after being caught with 4,741 child pornography images on a computer at his home in Castle Road, Bedford. He had also been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for ten years, Luton crown court heard on Wednesday (June 10 2008). Officers went to his new address in Redgrave Gardens, Luton in July last year. When they examined his laptop they found 268 indecent images of children and four video clips. All the images were at Level One – the lowest grade in terms of seriousness. Bayliss pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images and one of possessing them. Kate Davey, defending, said he was now motivated to change. She said he was heavily in debt, having not been able to work when he was in prison. Judge Michael Kay QC passed a three year community order with a three years of supervision by probation officers.  Bayliss must take part in a Sex Offender group programme. He will continue to be on the Sex Offender Register until 2116. The judge said: “The photos in this case are at Level One and relatively small in number. There is no purpose in imposing a short custodial sentence. It is more constructive to address your underlying behavioural problems. “If you don’t comply with the order you will be back and may well be going to jail again.”