March 2017 Walney paedophile spared jail for a second time – by the same crown court judge A CONVICTED paedophile from Walney has been spared jail for a second time – by the same crown court judge who warned him just six months ago that he was being given “a chance”. Joshua Leslie Nicholas, of Kennet Road on Walney, was convicted last July after he admitted downloading thousands of indecent and sexually explicit images of young children. Some of the images were classed as the most obscene category of sexual material relating to children and involved girls being raped. Barrow Crown Court was told at his sentencing last year that 23-year-old Nicholas preferred images of girls aged around eight years old. Judge Beverley Lunt told Nicholas at the time that his case was a “very worrying one” but opted to show restraint and not jail him, telling Nicholas: “I like to think that you are not beyond redemption. I will give you a chance.” Nicholas was given a three-year community order, a curfew and a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), restricting his use of computers among other conditions at his sentencing on July 12 last year. Just six months later, Nicholas has been back before the courts facing more charges of possessing indecent images. On March 16, he appeared before Judge Lunt again where he pleaded guilty to making and possessing an indecent image of a child and breaching his SHPO. He once more avoided a jail sentence. He was given a conditional discharge and a 90-day custodial sentence suspended for 12 months. His SHPO will remain for five years and he will remain on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.   July 2016 Walney man had thousands of sick images of children A WALNEY man who had more than 2,500 indecent images of children on his computer has been given a chance by a judge who said he was “not beyond redemption”. Joshua Leslie Nicholas, 23, of Kennet Road, Walney, was in court over five charges of possession of indecent images of children. Mr Tom Hynes, prosecuting, told Barrow Crown Court that Nicholas’s activity was discovered after Cumbria police were informed by an agency outside the UK. He told the court that Nicholas had amassed a huge number of images. The court was told that Nicholas preferred images of girls around eight years old. He had 495 category A images, the most obscene category of sexual material relating to children. He was also in possession of 279 category B images, and 1,906 category C images. Nicholas also owned a short video of a six-year-old girl, though it was not sexually explicit. In total Nicholas had 2,681 images on his computer. Sharon Watson, defending, said her client was aware that he had a problem and he was ashamed of that fact. She said: “Mr Nicholas knows that he has deviant interests. He is making it known that he wants to work with professionals to solve his problem.” Nicholas frequently broke down in tears as he sat in the dock, his parents looking on. As sentencing began, Judge Beverley Lunt spoke directly to Nicholas. She said: “You should be crying for these young children being raped and abused in these images. “They are real people and real children. Your case is a very, very worrying one.” However, Judge Lunt decided to show restraint in her sentencing. She said: “At 23 I like to think that you are not beyond redemption. I will give you a chance.” Nicholas was given a three year community order. During this time he has to undergo a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement, he is to attend an internet sex offence group programme, and he was issued with a five-year sexual harm prevention order. He has also has his name added to the sex offenders registry for five years. He will also be restricted by a 28-day curfew, to ensure he is at his home between 8pm and 7am