January 2013 Gainsborough paedophile spared jail A GAINSBOROUGH man who downloaded hundreds of child porn images involving girls as young as three has appeared in Court. Hugh Ahearn was arrested after police raided his home on Beckett Avenue. He was a spared a prison sentence after appearing at Lincoln Crown Court. Phil Howes, prosecuting, said officers seized a desk top and a lap top computer. When the computers were checked out police found a number of child porn images had been downloaded including video films as well as 10 extreme porn images of bestiality involving adults. The 297 child porn images included 89 in the two most serious categories. Ahearn, 46, admitted possession of indecent photographs of a child and possession of extreme pornography in April 2012. He also admitted 10 charges of making an indecent image of a child. He was given three years supervision with a requirement to complete a sex offender rehabilitation course. Ahearn was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years. The Judge said that requiring Ahearn to undergo a probation service course was the best way to protect the public.