Shropshire grocer spared prison after admitting child porn charges
A grocer has been spared a prison sentence after admitting possessing and distributing indecent images of children.
Andrew Cross, 46, had been sending on pornographic images to other people using an email address set up in a false name.
At Shrewsbury Crown Court Cross was given a three-year community order and three years supervision.
Judge Peter Barrie told Cross that these were not crimes without a victim and the defendant had a considerable number of images.
He said it was in the public interest to ensure that the defendant did not repeat this type of offence and told Cross he must complete a community sex offenders programme.
The defendant will also be on the sex offenders' register and be subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a period of five years.
Cross, of Roden, Telford, who had pleaded guilty to a total of 10 offences at an earlier hearing, was also ordered to pay £600 costs.
The court heard he had more than 700 images which included 10 images at the most serious level.
He was also in possession of items of extreme pornography including some still pictures and a movie involving sexual activity with animals.
The material was found on a mobile phone and a laptop last year. He told police he had been distributing material to retain the interest of people on chat lines.
Mr Andrew Holland, for Cross, said his client accepted these were horrendous offences, but were out of character and were committed at a time when he was under pressure both at home and in his business.
