PAUL SHEERAN, SCOUT LEADER FROM STRETFORD, JAILED IN MANCHESTER FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In January 2007, Paul Sheeran, a Scout leader from Stretford, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and banned for life from working with children after he was found to have created a homemade photo album filled with pornographic images of young boys.

Sheeran, who had served as a Scout leader since 1971, was apprehended during a nationwide operation targeting suspected sex offenders. He pleaded guilty to 29 charges of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing 1,600 such images. The collected images varied in severity, many of which were compiled into a personal photo album.

This operation involved a total of 13 arrests and was the first of its kind conducted by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre. Detective Inspector Nick Howarth of GMP's Abusive Images Unit stated, "Sheeran was in a position of trust in the community while clearly the evidence suggests he had a sexual interest in children."

In addition to his prison term, Manchester Crown Court disqualified Sheeran from working with children for life and ordered him to register as a sex offender. Authorities clarified that there was no evidence indicating Sheeran had taken photographs of Scouts or children under his supervision.

For those wishing to contact the unit, inquiries can be directed to Dawn Holt at 0161 230 8589 or Andy Pilling at 0161 856 3374.