January 2020 Wife left husband after he downloaded image of girl being raped A pensioner lost his marriage as a result of downloading images of child abuse from the internet. Blackburn magistrates heard one of the images downloaded by John Leslie Leaver was a category A image involving the rape of a girl aged between 10 and 13 years of age. Leaver, 68, of Barker Court, Brierfield, pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing indecent images of children. He was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for 18 months and made subject to community supervision for 18 months with 20 days rehabilitation activity requirement. He was put on the sex offender register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order both for seven years and ordered to pay £85 costs and £115 victim surcharge. November 2019 Brierfield pensioner could face jail over indecent photographs of children A Brierfield pensioner who had indecent photographs of children could be facing a possible jail term. John Leslie Leaver had five images in his possession, one of them at Category A, the most serious level. The other pictures were of Category C. They featured children of around five years old, a court heard. The 68-year-old, who has never been in trouble before, admitted one allegation of possessing an indecent photograph of a child and two counts of making indecent photographs of a child, between December 20th and 31st, 2017, at Brierfield. Mrs Alex Mann, prosecuting, told Burnley Magistrates: “The defendant has been contrite throughout.” She added: “There will be an application for a sexual harm prevention order at the sentencing.” The defendant, of Barker Court, will be sentenced on January 21st, after a probation report has been compiled. He was told by Mr Graham Jagger, chairman of the Bench: “All options are still open to the court.”