Shropshire sex offender jailed for having indecent images of children
A Shropshire man with a history of indecent assault and possession of child pornography has been jailed for two years for possessing indecent images of children.
Mark Hicks, 51, admitted six charges of possessing indecent images of children, including one picture at level five, the highest level, and 37 pictures at level four.
In total he was found to possess 4,548 images.
Hicks, of Vineyard Road, Newport, appeared in front of Judge Peter Barrie at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday.
Robert James Edwards, prosecuting, said police searched Hicks' home in January 2003 where a laptop was seized.
He said: "This laptop contained 4,548 images in total. On police interview he admitted to downloading and deleting the images immediately.
"He said he was disgusted and disappointed in himself."
Mr Edwards told the court that in February 2013, Hicks admitted to indecently assaulting a male under 14 and making indecent images.
He was jailed and released in June 2004.
Mr Michael Sherwood-Smith, defending, said Hicks, during the time he was downloading the images, was depressed, had low self-esteem and was suffering from nightmares about his divorce.
Judge Barrie told Hicks: "Within two years of your licence period ending of your previous sentence you failed to learn the lessons in your programme and committed similar offences again."
"You did not save, but viewed and discarded the images.
"There was a large volume of them, with a few at the highest level. It is concerning you went back to the behaviour you showed in 2003.
"You had the opportunity to learn from a program but it has not worked and you were unable to stop yourself accessing images again.
"Doing it again is much more serious than the first time.
"I have in my mind the physical threat of harm you could cause to children and the harm to them by accessing the internet material.
"You might assault young boys like you did before.
"I want to provide maximum protection for the public."
Hicks was sentenced to an extended sentence of six years imprisonment, of which he will spent two years in prison and four on an extended period of licence.
Hicks was also placed under a sexual offences order and barred from working with children for life.
The forfeiture and destruction of the laptop was also ordered.
