LEE ASTON JAILED IN COUNTY DURHAM FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND DISTRIBUTION
A paedophile from County Durham, who publicly referred to himself as a "proper perv," has been sentenced to prison for possessing and distributing child abuse images.Police executed a search at Lee Aston’s home on September 15, 2020, during which they discovered disturbing indecent images and videos.
The 40-year-old had stored these vile materials on his mobile phone and committed these offenses between October 2018 and September 2020.
Aston appeared before Durham Crown Court on Tuesday to face charges of creating and sharing indecent images.
The court was told that during the police raid, a Sony mobile phone was seized, containing a significant number of illegal images and videos.
Specifically, Aston possessed 11 images and 56 videos in Category A, 49 images and nine videos in Category C, and 13 images and 10 videos in Category B.
It was also revealed that Aston, who had no prior convictions, had shared some of these images and videos with other offenders via the Telegram messaging app.
Further investigation uncovered conversations where Aston described himself as a "proper perv." When questioned after his arrest, Aston admitted to the offenses, revealing that he accessed the material at home and that some images depicted children aged between four and five years old.
He also confessed to sending abuse images through social media platforms and described his actions as making him "feel sick." Defense lawyer John Nixon stated that Aston, of Rowan Court, Spennymoor, had entered an early guilty plea and shown remorse.
Mr.
Nixon explained that Aston lost his parents at a young age, currently struggles with depression and alcohol problems, and has worked throughout his life.
He also indicated that Aston posed a "low risk" of reoffending.
Considering all circumstances, Judge James Adkin, the Recorder of Durham, sentenced Aston to 18 months in prison.
Additionally, Aston was placed under a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and will be listed on the sex offenders' register for a decade.
