Child-porn pervert from Buxton is jailed for 12 months

Derby Crown Court heard on Monday, January 11, how Robert Stringer, 61, of Byron Street, Buxton, admitted possessing 650 indecent images, an indecent movie and an indecent photo of a different category and he also breached an order banning him from using mobiles with internet.

Prosecuting barrister Abi Joyce said: “Stringer was convicted in March, 2009, for possession of indecent photos and he got a 12 month prison sentence and was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

“The order included banning him from the possession of any computer with a facility of displaying images.

“On May 11, 2012, he was found guilty of breaching the Sexual Offender Prevention Order by being in possession of a computer and he received a community order.

“The conditions of the SOPO were varied to prohibit him from using any device capable of accessing the internet unless it had the capacity to retain internet history.

“Stringer was subject to checks and in January, 2013, he was found guilty of making photos of children and received a three-year community order.”

Despite Stringer’s previous convictions, Miss Joyce explained how Stringer’s offender manager became aware of information that he had a mobile phone in August, 2015, and he was seen using it while driving and it was identified.

The court heard how police attended Stringer’s address and he failed to declare the phone but officers identified the make of phone, called it successfully and established it had an internet plan.

The defendant told police he committed the latest offences because he was annoyed at the accusations and thought he might as well do it and as he looked at adult porn sites they would piggy-back to teen sites with 14 to 18-year-olds.

He stated to police that he felt guilty because he has daughters but he denied being sexually attracted to children.

Stringer pleaded guilty to breaching a SOPO by possessing a mobile with internet between October, 2013 and September, 2015. He also pleaded guilty to possessing an indecent photo of a child and an indecent movie and 650 indecent images between June and September, 2015.

Defence barrister James Riley urged the court to consider a suspended prison sentence to allow Stringer to work with probation and police to overcome problems.

But Judge Jonathan Bennett sentenced Stringer to 12 months of custody.

He told the defendant: “You demonstrated calculated defiance and your case is aggravated by previous convictions.

“You have made little progress and you didn’t recognise that you have a significant problem.

“Custody is appropriate because of your calculated defiance and you have had two community orders and you made no progress and you have carried on offending.”

The court heard how the movie and images included youngsters aged around 13 and 14 to 16.