A PERVERTED quantity surveyor carried out internet searches for child pornography on his family’s computer while it was logged on with his son’s password.
But when the police turned up at their Leamington home and seized the notebook computer, John Healy immediately admitted he had been responsible, a judge at Warwick Crown Court has heard.
The 52-year-old, of Queensway, who pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work, to take part in a rehabilitation activity for 30 days, and to register as a sex offender for ten years.
Prosecutor Ian Windridge said in March last year police went to Healy’s home, having received information the address had a link to the downloading of child pornography.
Healy was not there, but his wife was at home, and he was contacted and returned shortly afterwards and was arrested, and a notebook computer and two phones were seized.
When he was interviewed, Healy admitted using online chat rooms where he discussed having sex with girls and older women.
He said it was the family notebook, but that each member of the family had their own log-in details.
On the computer officers found internet search terms which included ‘free child porn’ and ‘10-year-old girl’.
Although the search terms were linked to the log-in of his son, Healy accepted being responsible for the searches, and said his son must have left his account logged in when he then began using the notebook himself.
Mr Windridge said the computer contained images which included girls aged from five to 11 being sexually abused.
There were 85 images in total which had been downloaded over a period from October 2012 until Healy’s arrest.
Jason Pegg, defending, said Healy was ‘a hard-working professional man,’ who Recorder Stuart Sprawson observed earned £60,000 a year, of previous good character.
Mr Pegg added: “He is a man who for some time had accessed adult pornography. He describes having a pornography addiction.
“To his credit, he candidly told probation that in order to obtain sexual relief, he turned his attention towards images of young girls.
“He is aware the girls in those images were subjected to abuse. At the time he fantasised about having sexual activity with young teenage girls.”
But Mr Pegg said following his arrest Healy realised he needed help, and has since attended 31 counselling sessions ‘to address the reasons why he felt the need to access such images.’
Sentencing Healy, and ordering the forfeiture of the computer and one phone, Recorder Sprawson told him: “You have made these images for your own gratification.
“Viewing these images involves the continued exploitation of young children.”
