August 2010 Man is jailed for distributing indecent images of children A PERVERT who sent two indecent images of children to a 17-year-old student has been jailed for two years. John Stanway, of Banbury Grove, Biddulph, pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images of children in February last year; five charges of making indecent images of children between July 2007 and May 2009; and possessing 560 indecent images of children on May 23 last year. Prosecutor Stuart Clarkson yesterday told Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court that a female student in Sheffield was asked to accept the defendant as her friend on a social networking site. “She accepted that person as a friend and he (the defendant) said ‘Can I have a picture of you?’. The picture was sent and two pictures were returned by this defendant to her.” Mr Clarkson said the student felt physically sick when she saw the pictures which showed children having sex with adults. The student called the police and the 44-year-old defendant was traced. Officers found the images on Stanway’s computer equipment. Police found there to be 275 images at level one; 35 at level two; 112 at level three; 141 level four and one level five – the most serious. But the defence found there to be some duplications and assessed there to be 172 indecent images at level one; 24 at level two; 63 level three; 73 level four; and one at level five. The court was told Stanway has a previous conviction for a sexual offence in 1999 for which he was placed on the sex offenders’ register for life. Stuart Muldoon, in mitigation, said Stanway has been frank and acknowledges he has a problem and it needs to be addressed. “He acknowledges he has done wrong and will accept whatever punishment the court imposes on him,” said Mr Muldoon. “He is ashamed of what he did. “He wishes to avail himself on any courses made available to him either in the community or in custody.” Mr Muldoon asked Judge Paul Glenn to consider whether society would be best served by Stanway being given a three year community order. But the judge said the distribution of the images, which were both level four, was so serious he had to pass a custodial sentence. Judge Glenn said he sentenced Stanway on the defence’s assessment of the number of indecent images found. He said Stanway represented a significant risk of serious harm to children but he did not feel he had to pass a sentence for the protection of the public. “I am concerned by your obvious sexual interests,” said Judge Glenn. “They are real children being abused,” he added.