June 2012 Abuse images found on PC A MAN who became “addicted” to images of child abuse was frantically pressing keyboard buttons on his computer when police raided his flat, a court heard. Preston Crown Court hear how more than 5,000 illegal pictures were found when police checked David Brock’s equipment. Some had been saved onto particular files. When officers broke down his door of his flat on plush Clifton Drive North, St Annes, to execute a warrant under the Protection of Children Act they had to forcibly remove him from the computer to stop him deleting evidence and held him on the floor. The 48-year-old was appearing for sentencing having admitted nine charges of making indecent images, five of possessing such images and one offence of having an extreme image of abuse. Hilary Banks, prosecuting, said police went to the defendant’s flat in December 2010, acting on a tip off. They shouted for Brock to open the door before forcing entry. He was standing in front of a computer system in the living room. Mrs Banks told the court “An officer described his behaviour as frantically pressing keyboard buttons. “He failed to respond to police requests to effectively put himself on the floor and so was eventually forcibly placed on the floor.” Three computers were taken away to be examined by the police high-tech crime unit. The court heard officers found notes which bore website names, some recognised as showing to child abuse. A total of 5,395 indecent images of children were found. Most of them – 2,646 – were at level one, the least serious category. There were images at all levels of seriousness, plus one severely extreme picture. Mrs Banks added “The images show some children clearly under five years, including babies. “Most are of pre-teen children, both male and female, under 13 years of age.” Brock had previous convictions, but none for any similar offending. Michelle Brown, defending, said her client had a genuine and sincere desire to deal with his problem. He was committed and motivated to tackling it, she added. The defence said: “He is willing to take responsibility. He says it is akin to an addiction. “What may have started out as a recourse to normal adult pornography has, in effect, escalated to this other material. “He is in need of assistance. He is extremely anxious about the possibility of immediate custody.” Brock was given 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, with two years’ supervision, which will include an internet sex offenders treatment programme. For three months he will be on a nightly curfew. He will remain on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years, is banned from working with children and subject to a sexual offences prevention order for an indefinite period. Judge Robert Altham told him: “Though you say you wouldn’t dream yourself of approaching a child and engaging in any contact offending, people such as yourself who encourage the creation of images like that are contributing to the acts of abuse, as shown in those photographs. “It is difficult to imagine what the effect is upon the young children who are the subject of that sort of violation and abuse, encouraged, as it has been, by you.”