May 2017 Convicted paedophile jailed for third time A pervert unable to control his urges to download indecent images of children, has been jailed for a THIRD time. Durham Crown Court heard that Ian Hardie, now 50, received a 15-month sentence for possessing such images, in Aberdeen, in his native Scotland, in 2011. Four years later, he was jailed for a further ten months, for a similar offence committed while living in Stanhope, County Durham, following his release from his initial sentence. But he was back before the court, again, having admitted three more similar charges. David Lamb, prosecuting, said following his release from the second sentence, Hardie received an unannounced visit by an officer from Durham Police’s public protection unit, at the men’s hostel where he was living, in Plawsworth, near Chester-le-Street, in April, last year. Mr Lamb said Hardie conceded he was worried about re-offending and would go to the library to receive free wi-fi access to look at adult pornography on his lap-top. “He told the officer he was determined his old ways would not return, but was worried he had not been able to control his urges.” His computer was seized and analysis revealed evidence of a total of 947 indecent child images, 167 in the most serious category. Hardie admitted searching websites for images of teenage girls, some, it emerged, who were underage. Stuart Graham, for Hardie, said: “He’s a man who has tried to sort out his life and really wants to stop this.” Mr Graham said the defendant has sought help from two independent agencies. He added that Hardie, an academic who read Gaelic at Aberdeen University, had become “depressed and insular”, but was, “desperate” to change his ways. Jailing him for two years, Judge Christopher Prince made Hardie subject to a new Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which prevents him from attending public libraries, “until further order”. January 2015 Man previously jailed for child abuse images found with new collection within years of release A MAN amassed thousands of indecent images of children within three years of his release from a previous prison sentence for similar offending. Ian Hardie today (Thursday January 29) admitted six counts of making indecent photographs of children, between January 2012 and last August, during a short Durham Crown Court hearing. The court heard almost 7,300 offending images were found stored on a computer tower removed from his home by police on August 27. But the court was told most were classed as ‘category C’ images, the third most serious level for such material. Ian West, for Hardie, asked for preparation of a background report prior to his client being sentenced. “Mr Hardie has a previous conviction in Scotland, in March 2011, for which he was sentenced to 15 months in prison. “I will submit that most of the near 7,300 images here are in category C, although there were nine in category A and 31 in category B.” Judge Christopher Prince agreed to adjourn sentence for a Probation Service report before sentence. But he told Hardie: “The fact that I’m adjourning should be taken as no indication as to the sentence you will receive in this case. “You may be going to prison.” Judge Prince said Hardie should make an interim registration as a sex offender, with the exact length of time he should remain on the register to be determined when sentenced. Although he was told the defendant remains on the sex offenders’ register following his conviction in Scotland, Judge Prince said: “The form this side of the border will be drawn up.” He bailed 48-year-old Hardie, of Albert Terrace, Stanhope, in Weardale, to return for the sentencing hearing at the court on Friday March 20 May 2011 Man had 40,000 indecent images of children A MAN who had more than 40,000 indecent images of children has been jailed. Ian Hardie admitted having the images on computers, hard drives and discs at his home in Aberdeen. The 44-year-old was convicted of having 42,318 pictures between May 2, 2006 and January 17, 2008. Hardie, of 148 Formartine Road, Aberdeen, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and was placed on the sex offenders’ register.