April 2012 Pervert told police child porn images were like works of art A JUDGE hit out at a child porn pervert who told police he considered it was like looking at pictures of Constable landscapes. Officers seized computer equipment at the home of Brighouse man Robert Ian Shears in October 2009 and he had an indecent image of a child as his screen saver, a court heard. Shears, of Field Top, Bailiff Bridge, said he found pictures of naked children beautiful and thought they looked happy in the images so did not think they were actually being abused. But a staggered Judge Geoffrey Marson QC told him: “To liken them to looking at a Constable landscape is unbelievable.” Simon Haring, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court more than 8,000 images were found including 1,200 at levels four and five, the most serious. Shears, 58, who is in a wheelchair because of a hereditary disease, was jailed for six months after he admitted 21 charges of making indecent images. Judge Marson QC said: “By downloading these images you contribute to the misery and the degradation of these young children. “Those images at level four and five are vile. “It is difficult to imagine the ordeal to which these children are subjected in order to obtain images such as these.” He did not accept that Shears had gained no sexual pleasure from viewing the images as indicated in his pre-sentence report. “There would be absolutely no other reason for downloading and looking at them and to liken them to looking at a Constable landscape is unbelievable. “These are children being abused.” He barred him from having photographs or images of children under 16 except without parental or guardian permission. Ken Green, for Shears, said he had been a hard working, law-abiding individual who had never been in trouble before but had become somewhat isolated through his disability.