May 2014 Honiton businessman had ‘depraved’ child abuse images A judge has branded a businessman as depraved after hearing how he was found with images of serious child abuse on his home computer. Paul Samuel was traced by investigators after he used a website which was being monitored and downloaded images which showed girls and boys as young as five being forced to have sex with adults. He told police he watched the pornography because of a medical condition but rejected his explanation when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court. Samuel, 56, of Monkton, near Honiton, admitted seven offences of possession or making of indecent, prohibited or extreme images. He was jailed for eight months, suspended for two years, ordered to pay £450 costs. His computer equipment was seized and he was made subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which will allow police to monitor his future internet use. Judge Francis Gilbert, QC, told him: ”You have pleaded guilty to serious offences of making indecent images of children, the nature of which I will not describe in public. “What you did demonstrated extreme depravity on your part and the explanation you gave about a medical condition is simply not acceptable as a justification for looking at these appalling images. “There were photographs of young children being abused by adults and there were also other extreme images which were also depraved. “Many people have written letters to the court saying what a decent and honest man you are. You may be honest but you are far from decent and I dare say they would be shocked if they learned about your conduct.” Miss Janice Eagles, prosecuting, said in addition to more than 400 images of naked children police found 51 pictures showing children suffering serious abuse by adults. She said: ”The defendant came to the attention of the police because of an investigation in Gloucestershire in which an internet site was found from which he was traced. “The images showed female children as young as five or six and one of the more serious images of abuse showed a boy aged eight to 10. He told officers he had visited teen sites but the images had popped up. “He is of previous good character and gave an account in interview of needing to access pornography to assist with a medical condition.” Mr Tristan Harwood, defending, urged the Judge to give Samuel credit for his early guilty plea and previous unblemished record and to follow the suggestion of a probation pre-sentence report.