March 2012 Author claimed his 6,000 indecent images of children were ‘for research’ An author caught with more that 6,000 indecent images of children on his computers said he was not a paedophile and that he had only looked at the pictures for his work. Peter Murphy, 32, told the police he did not get sexually aroused by the photographs of girls aged between 8 and 10. He said he had spent 10 years alone in his room looking at pornography of all descriptions. He had gone onto the child abuse sites out of “morbid curiosity,” St Albans crown court was told today. Edward Lewis, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “He said he was not a paedophile and it was all about his book.” Mr Lewis said Hertfordshire police executed a search warrant at Murphy’s home in Bournehall Avenue, Bushey, at 7am on March 3 last year. They found Murphy in his shed. When the officers told him why they were there he said they would find images on his computers. His Iphone, laptop, three hard drives and a computer tower were seized and the contents examined. There were 6,447 stills – 6,384 were at Level 1, the lowest Level, 52 at Level 2, 7 at Level 3 and 4 at Level 4, the second most serious. 13 indecent movies of children were found – 11 were at Level 1 and 2 at Level 2. There was also an image of extreme pornography featuring a woman having sex with a dog. Murphy, who was of previous good character, admitted two charges of possessing indecent images of a child, eight of making indecent images and one of possessing extreme pornography. Defence barrister Daniel O’Malley said Murphy now admits he was sexually aroused. After his arrest Murphy had voluntarily attended a course run by the Lucy Fathifull Foundation – a child protection charity. He had also paid for a 10 week counselling course run by Bushey Health Care. Mr O’Malley said: “He has taken steps of his own volition to put things right. He unreservedly apologises and is thoroughly ashamed of himself.” Judge Marie Catterson passed a three year Community Order with condition that Murphy attends an Integrated Sex Offender Group Work Programme and is placed under supervision for three years. He is disqualified from working with children and must sign onto the Sex Offenders’ Register for 5 years. The judge warned him: “If you break the conditions of the order – custody is the only alternative.”