Indecent images of children as young as four found on Humberston man's phone

Grimsby Crown Court
-Credit: (Image: Donna Clifford/GrimsbyLive)


A Humberston man admitted having indecent images on his phone, including one of a four-year-old child.

Daniel Neal, 27, of Albertross Drive, Humberston pleaded guilty to a total of three offences of making indecent images, some of them of the worst category, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Prosecuting, Chloe Pinches said Humberside Police were alerted following an investigation by the National Crime Agency. Officers had located a Snapchat account containing images of children from between October 2021 and February last year.

READ MORE:Grimsby court list - Ten offenders named and shamed

READ MORE:Grimsby court list - Ten offenders named and shamed

Humberside Police officers visited his address and seized his Samsung phone and other devices. His phone contained 177 indecent images and videos.

A total of 66 of them were of Category A, which are the most serious and also many other images of children being sexually abused. Miss Pinches said one of them was of a child aged just four years.

For Neal, Craig Lowe said his client had a troubled childhood and is "genuinely remorseful" for the offences. He said his client works full-time. He added the offences were all purely internet-based and had not involved any contact with children.

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Judge Paul Watson KC said: "Anyone who thinks these are victimless crimes, is mistaken. These are real children suffering appalling abuse."

He said he accepted the defendant's remorse and his acknowledgement that he has an insight into his offending. He imposed an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He ordered him to do 120 hours unpaid work in the community and to attend 20 rehabilitation activity days to address his offences.

He ordered Neal to comply with a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years. He will also be on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years. He ordered court costs of £150.