JAMES CASS FROM CLEETHORPES JAILED FOR DOWNLOAD OF 36,000 CHILD ABUSE IMAGES IN DISTURBING CASE

In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Cleethorpes, James Cass, a 56-year-old resident of Oliver Street, was sentenced to six months in prison after admitting to the possession and download of approximately 36,000 indecent images of children. The case was brought before Grimsby Crown Court, where prosecutor Jeremy Evans detailed the severity of Cass's actions and the evidence uncovered during the investigation.

According to Evans, among the images found on Cass’s devices, 326 were classified as category five, representing the most serious and disturbing type of child exploitation material. The police investigation traced the source of the images to a server located in Austria, which was linked to Cass through digital footprints. This connection prompted authorities to act swiftly and visit his residence in March 2008.

During the search, officers examined two computers and several disks stored at Cass’s home. Despite discovering that 22,591 images had been deliberately deleted, they also found 13,563 images still accessible on his devices. The evidence painted a clear picture of ongoing and extensive illegal activity involving the exploitation of children through digital media.

In his defense, James Sampson, representing Cass, highlighted his client’s ill health, his honesty with police, and his early guilty plea as mitigating factors. Cass suffers from chronic pulmonary disease and requires a walking stick, which the court considered when determining the severity of his sentence.

Judge David Tremburg addressed the court, emphasizing the gravity of Cass’s actions. He noted that over a period of more than three and a half years, Cass had developed a disturbing obsession with such material. The judge described the number of images downloaded as substantial and underscored the dangerous implications of such behavior.

“You could not have failed to realize that by indulging your addiction, it provided tacit encouragement for those who would abuse children and post such disgusting images on the Internet,” Judge Tremburg stated. He further explained that the severity of the offences warranted an immediate custodial sentence, which in this case was six months in prison.

Given Cass’s health condition, the sentence was considered particularly harsh, but the court also imposed a sex offender provision order. This order restricts his access to computers and limits his interactions with children, aiming to prevent further harm.

Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Steve Bury from the Internet sex offenders investigation section issued a stern warning. He stated, “We will investigate any suggestion anyone is committing this sort of crime. We work with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) closely. In a nutshell, it doesn’t matter where people go for these images, we will get them eventually. My message to those thinking of committing such crimes is stop and get help.”