May 2021 Pensioner hid USB stick with over 20,000 indecent pictures of children inside a shoe in his car A pensioner was found with over 20,000 images of children after posting an indecent photograph on his Instagram account. Ian Ryder, 67, kept a USB drive with thousands of images inside a shoe in his car, which was seized when police raided his house in July 2019. Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how Ryder had been flagged by the National Crime Agency after sharing an indecent picture on the social media site. Following a search of his house on Lock Lane in Bolton, officers seized a number of electronic items, prosecutor Bob Sastry told the court. “A USB device was found inside a shoe in the defendant’s car,” Mr Sastry said. “The defendant said to the officer that there would be pictures of children on the devices.” The court heard that police recovered two category A moving images – involving penetration, and one category B image – involving non-penetrative sexual activity. A further 22,754 category C images – images of erotic posing, and 36 category C moving images were also found. Police also seized a PDF document titled ‘privacy pursuit’ which contained a guide on using private networks and encryption so that search history could be wiped from the device. Ryder’s barrister, Mark Shanks, told the court that his client is now retired and divorced, but had been ‘lonely’ in his marriage when the offences started. “It started off looking at images that were not quite right and then it spiralled,” Mr Shanks said. “Since this came to light he is absolutely disgusted at himself. To say he is remorseful doesn’t even cover it. “His family and friends have disowned him. The only person who stood by him was his mother who passed away in October last year. “It is something that has caused him great pain. “He knows that is his fault and he has made his bed and is to accept the consequences.” Ryder was jailed for two months suspended for two years after admitting three counts of possession of indecent images and one count of distributing an indecent image. He was also ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation, made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and must sign the Sex Offenders register for seven years. Sentencing, Judge Andrea Neild said: “It is extremely sad to see a man of your age and status brought before these courts for what your counsel described as disgusting offences. “A phrase he used because of the instructions you gave to him. “You have unofficially sentenced yourself in that your life has been severely impacted by the discovery of you viewing these images. “It seems there is a real chance of rehabilitation and you have already started that process at your own cost.”