A JUDGE has jailed a man who he said has a ‘sexual interest in the abuse of very young children’.

Scott Hall, of Pennine Gardens, Barrow, was sentenced at Preston Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Steven Parker said officers from Cumbria Police seized four devices from the defendant’s home address on July 21, 2022.

Forensic analysis of the devices revealed Hall – aged 47 - had accessed 68 category A images of children, 101 category B images and 848 category C images between April 11, 2021, and July 12 2022.

Mr Parker said: “The children in the category A and B images were predominantly between the ages of four and six years old. The images were indicative of the search terms that the defendant had been using.”

The court heard the defendant searched ‘schoolgirl’, ‘youth 15’, ‘young girl’ and other terms on Google.

“It is perhaps not surprising police found indecent images of children across those devices,” Mr Parker said.

The court heard Hall denied having any sexual interest in children when speaking to a probation service worker who conducted his pre-sentence report.

He told the worker when being questioned over the search terms: ‘If I have done it, I do not remember,’ the court was told.

In mitigation, Charlotte Phillips urged The Honorary Recorder of Preston Robert Altham to suspend any sentence of imprisonment.

She said: “He has difficulties with his mental health and has suffered with severe isolation during COVID-19.

“He has found it difficult to come to terms with what he has done and is on a journey in accepting what has taken place.

“It was not his intention to apportion any blame away from himself. He did not understand what was going on due to his amphetamine use.

“In a custodial environment he is going to severely struggle with his mental health. When he is released, he will also likely lose his home.”

His Honour Judge Robert Altham refused Ms Phillips’ submissions and jailed Hall for 13 months due to the defendant showing a ‘lack of insight’ into his offending.

Before passing sentence, he told Hall: “These are very serious matters. Those images are generated by people abusing real children who themselves have to bear the scars of this abuse. What you do by assessing them is perpetuate it.

“You appear to be obtuse and blame your heavy use of amphetamines for your behaviour.

“It is clear, not only do you plainly have a sexual interest in children, but you also have a sexual interest in the abuse of very young children.

“You do not accept you have done anything wrong and you do not accept you have problems that need to be addressed. That leaves me with very little option.”

As part of the sentencing exercise, Hall was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender register requirements for 10 years.

Judge Altham also ordered for deprivation of the four devices.