Sex offender who shared child abuse images avoids jail

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 27 Oct, 19:02 · Archive

Steven Thomas, 37, admitted distributing indecent images of children and attempting to engage minors in sexual activity.

Steven Thomas, 37, admitted three charges of making indecent images of children, three of distributing them, and one count each of attempting to engage in sexual activity with a child and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity at Ipswich Crown Court.

Police raided Thomas's former address in Colchester in August and seized two Samsung phones and a MacBook Pro. The devices contained 173 indecent images and videos of children, 72 of which were classified as Category A. Forensic downloads revealed conversations in which Thomas urged other online paedophiles to send him indecent images and said he 'would like to see some younger children' and 'prefers the younger teens'. He also offered files to other users.

In one conversation with someone he believed was a 15-year-old Romanian boy, Thomas made sexualised comments and asked 'Are you OK with the gap?'. The prosecution said this showed Thomas knew the other user's age. When arrested, Thomas was described as 'agitated, very emotional' and repeatedly said 'take me, take me, take me'.

Juliet Donovan, mitigating, described Thomas, now of Astley Road, Clacton, as a hard-working man with integrity who turned to internet chatrooms from a young age due to lack of emotional support from his parents.

How it is being reported

• Paedophile who thought he was messaging teenage boy from Romania avoids jailA sex offender who urged other paedophiles to send him indecent images of children begged police to arrest him during a house raid, a court heard.Echo (Basildon) · 27 Oct, 17:00
• Paedophile who thought he was messaging teenage boy from Romania avoids jailA sex offender who urged other paedophiles to send him indecent images of children begged police to arrest him during a house raid, a court heard.Colchester Gazette · 27 Oct, 17:00

In this story: Steven Thomas · Ipswich Crown Court · Colchester · Clacton · Romania

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