November 2013 Man had indecent images of children A MAN who collected hundreds of indecent images of children was arrested after he called police to his home and showed officers his computer. In circumstances which were described at Durham Crown Court as ‘bizarre’, David Corrigan reported his girlfriend missing. “Police came to his house about that,” said Adrian Dent, prosecuting. “They suggested she might have left him, but he said not, and said he had text messages from her which he could bring up on his computer. “The officers asked to see the messages. “At the same time they saw others from someone called Steve. “These were extremely sexually explicit, referring to the rape of children.’’ The court heard police seized Corrigan’s computer, and later found more than 800 indecent images of children on it. In his house police found pornographic DVDs and publications, and two pairs of girls’ knickers. Corrigan, 31, of Harvey Avenue, Framwellgate Moor, Durham City, admitted 17 charges of making indecent photographs of children. He has two previous police cautions for inciting a child to commit sexual activity. Tony Davis, defending, said in mitigation: “The circumstances of his arrest were bizarre, and it is clear he has underlying problems.’’ The Recorder, Mr Martin Bethel QC, sentenced Corrigan to two months in prison, suspended for two years. He will be supervised by the probation service for two years, and must undertake sex offender treatment programmes. The recorder made an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning Corrigan from unsupervised contact with children, and limiting his internet use. Corrigan must register as a sex offender for seven years.