September 2015 A pervert has been jailed for making and possessing indecent images of children A man has been handed a four year prison sentence for making and keeping indecent images of children. Gerrit van Loo, 57, appeared at Cambridge Crown Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to a charge of taking, making and possessing indecent images. Van Loo, of Little Meadow in Cambridge, pleaded guilty to 15 counts, including taking indecent photographs of a child aged between six and eight years, keeping indecent, extreme and prohibited images and incitement to sexual behaviour of a child under the age of 14. Prosecuting, James Earle, said the images were found on computer devices belonging to Van Loo. As well as a large number of category A images, the most serious categorisation for child images, there were a number of Category C images Van Loo had taken himself of a child, between six and eight years old, naked, in sexual positions. The court heard the subject of these photos ultimately told a school friend what was happening. By this point the victim was 17 years old. Van Loo was subsequently arrested. Bernard Tetlow, for the defence, said Van Loo had struggled for most of his life with paedophilic feelings but had never gone further than making and keeping images. The court heard Van Loo had had an interest in young girls since the age of 15. “Through his own actions, he has lost any real life,” said Mr Tetlow. “He accepts it is entirely his own fault. He now feels lonely, isolated and fearful of the future. “He has no job and his employment prospects are bleak. He will have to live the rest of his life with the sadness and devastation he feels.” Judge Gareth Hawkesworth said: “[Van Loo’s} interest in young girls led him to take and keep these photos. It can’t be said the pictures don’t cause real harm. These are real children receiving real abuse.” Van Loo was given a four year sentence and told he would serve half of it in prison, spending the rest on licence. Upon release, he will be prohibited from living in a building with anyone under the age of 16. Sentencing, Judge Hawkesworth said: “There is a substantial number of these images. It was [your victim] who brought these things to light, in obvious distress. “There can be no doubt of the extreme psychological impact you have had on her life as she reaches adulthood in an extremely torn state.”