Paul Monks, a 50-year-old man from Sunderland, has been jailed for 18 months after admitting possessing indecent images of children and breaching a sexual harm prevention order. Monks, of Chester Road, Sunderland, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of breaching the order.
Police visit leads to discovery of images
On April 4 last year, police visited Monks' home in Sunderland to check his compliance with the sexual harm prevention order. He handed over some electronic devices but failed to disclose an SD card, which constituted a breach of the order. Officers later found the SD card and a tablet containing 387 category A images—the most serious category—along with 144 category B images and 51 category C images. The court heard that more than 16,000 further images were not categorised.
Neil Jones, prosecuting, said one video showed children as young as three months old engaged in sexual activity with adult men. Monks had previously been given a 12-month suspended prison sentence at Bristol Crown Court in 2021 for indecent images offences and was made subject to a seven-year sexual harm prevention order.
Court hearing and sentencing
Jailing Monks for 18 months and imposing a fresh sexual harm prevention order, Judge Tim Gittins said every time someone views such images is a "fresh abuse of that child" and that children abused and recorded are aware of what is happening. He added: "You will have to learn, while you have such urges, you need to be stronger in character so you don't engage in committing further offences of this type."
Jordan Parkinson, defending, said Monks had become addicted to crystal meth and after splitting from a partner, went back to looking at indecent images of children "as a means to cope with his low mood". Miss Parkinson added that he has sought help for his drug problem and is now clean, and that he needs help to address his "deficits in thinking" in relation to his attraction to young boys.
