January 2017 Sex offender caught sharing indecent images online A sex offender who said he felt humiliated after he was caught sharing indecent images online has been handed a community order for his ‘despicable’ offending. Mark Walton fell into depression after police discovered he had more than 400 indecent images of children between six and 10, Oxford Crown Court heard. The 19-year-old, who helps care for his wheelchair-bound mother, confessed he started viewing the ‘grotesque’ material when he was just 16. But Walton, of Springfield Drive, Abingdon, claimed he did not have any sexual interest towards youngsters. Deputy Circuit Judge Patrick Eccles QC slammed the sex offender for refusing to tell the court why he downloaded the pictures on his laptop and mobile phone. He handed him a three-year community order, with a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, along with a sexual harm prevention order, 100-hours unpaid work and a 30-day internet sex offenders treatment programme. Prosecutor Cathy Olliver told the court Walton, who had no previous convictions, immediately identified himself when police searched his home while he was with his family last January. The defendant’s Sony laptop and Samsung Galaxy phone were seized before he was whisked to Abingdon Police Station, where he admitted downloading and sharing the images. Walton, who must also pay £475 costs and a victim surcharge, was remorseful, the barrister told the court on Thursday. He admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing prohibited images of a child between June 16, 2014, and January 1, 2016.