Telford man, 26, gets community order over child sex images

Kieran Williams had one indecent image of a child of category B and five moving images of category C downloaded on to a portable hard drive.

The 26-year-old, of Albion Street in St Georges, , was given a three-year community order and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work after admitting two counts of making indecent images of children.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday Judge Robin Onions said: "These are by far not the most serious images I have seen.

"He is a young man of previous good character who, like many, start off accessing adult pornography, which is not illegal.

"But as I understand it, and I am not speaking from personal experience, it starts as pop-ups which lead to illegal activity."

The court heard that the girls pictured in the indecent images appeared to be between the ages of 14 and 17 and it seemed that the photos had not been made in a "forced environment".

Judge Onions said: "Everyone that looks at these images is exploiting the girls. Whether the girls consented to it or not is neither here nor there."

The offences took place between May 25, 2010 and July 13, 2013.

Judge Onions said: "I expect that you are profoundly embarrassed and I afraid that you are likely to receive publicity for this case but it is important that it is understood that these are images of girls aged 14-16.

"These are not images of youngest children, some of whom are babies in arms.

"The images do appear to be the kind that are swapped between consenting couples and are not of the greatest seriousness – but it is still unlawful.

"I think you have learned a valuable and embarrassing lesson."

Williams will also take part in a sexual offenders' programme as part of his community order, and placed under a sexual offences prevention order for five years.