January 2017 Newport man spared jail for sex images A 48-YEAR-OLD man who downloaded ‘disgraceful’ images of child abuse has avoided jail. Ian Morris, of Vicarage Hill, Newport, was given an eight month suspended sentence when he appeared at Newport Crown Court yesterday. When police searched Morris’ flat on December 13 they found a total of 73 indecent images on a computer drive and two USB sticks, including ten in the worst category. In a police interview, Morris admitted he had been downloading images since 2010. Category A images showed children between the age of eight and 14 involved in sexual acts, as well as one child as young as six, while others showed women being beaten. Two videos of extreme pornography showing sexual acts involving animals were also found. At a previous hearing Morris pleaded guilty to five charges, including making indecent photos, possessing photos of extreme pornography, photos of child abuse and a video of an act of sex with a dead or alive animal. Marian Lewis, defending, said Morris was at ‘low risk’ of sexual offending. Judge Jeremy Jenkins called the images ‘disturbing’ and ‘disgraceful’ but said the quantity was relatively low and gave the defendant credit for his early guilty plea. He said: “What you see on these images depicts real child abuse and it is people like you who perpetuate the abuse of these children in a most cruel way.” He handed Morris an eight month sentence suspended for two years, and added him to the sexual offenders’ register for ten years. Morris was ordered to complete a community order for two years which will include attending a rehabilitation activity programme. “This is your first and only chance the court will give you,” said Judge Jenkins.