December 2009 Ludlow man spared jail over child abuse image downloads A LUDLOW man downloaded hundreds of images of child abuse images to escape the pressure of work, a court heard. Russell Roberts, aged 36, of Ludford View, Greenacres, kept the pictures and videos on his mobile phone and computer. Police found 422 indecent images, some of boys under the age of 13, when they carried out a search warrant at Roberts’ home in June 2008. Peter Grice, prosecuting, told Shrewsbury Crown Court that when arrested, the bookmaker told officers the pictures provided an “escape from work pressure and money problems”. Among the many images of young boys found were eight pictures and one video that were of the most extreme kinds of child pornography. Mr Grice told the judge that Roberts admitted passing on the footage to other people. David Iles, defending, said the arrest had a profound effect on Roberts. “He’s already regarded as a social pariah. He lives at home with his mum and has not been out for some time,” he said. “When he does leave the house, he feels the twitch of the lace curtain.” Mr Iles said Roberts, who pleaded guilty to five charges of making indecent images and to one count of possession, could no longer work as he was suffering from depression. Roberts, the court heard, never approached children or “hung around school gates”. “But what he did do was to look at images taken by other people,” Mr Iles explained. Judge Robert David Trevor-Jones recognised Roberts was not the person who took the photographs but said that by downloading the items he had inspired others to exploit vulnerable boys for others’ sexual gratification. However, the judge decided against sending Roberts to custody and instead handed him a 10 month sentence suspended for two years. He is banned from befriending anyone under the age of 16 and cannot be left unsupervised with anyone under that age. Roberts must also register on the sex offenders’ list for 10 years.