[Cool Teen Sites]
Monday, 14 May, 2001, 17:32 GMT 18:32 UK
13-year-old Boy placed on sex offenders' register
A 13-year-old boy has been put on the sex offenders' register for two-and-a-half years for
having more than 300 pornographic images of children on his home computer.
The teenager was given an 18-month supervision order on condition he attends a
rehabilitation course after admitting nine charges of possessing indecent images of
children.
A total of 326 images featuring young children as well as half a dozen images involving a
baby were found on the hard drive of the boy's computer.
It is a disturbing case in that someone as young as you was so readily able to get access
to this type of material
District Judge James Prowse, sitting at Teesside Youth Court, said that the boy from
Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had become an
"unwitting victim" in an internet ring peddling child pornography.
The teenager spoke in court only to confirm his name, address and to accept his sentence.
The court heard he had initially logged onto an internet chatroom in search of teenage
girls of a similar age.
National operation
He soon became embroiled in a sordid trade of pornographic images after logging on using
an obscene pseudonym.
Officers from Greater Manchester Police monitored the chatroom as part of a four-month
national operation codenamed Operation Appal which has led to more than 30 arrests
nationwide.
Cleveland Police officers raided the young boy's home expecting to find an adult
paedophile, the court heard, and were surprised to find that the child was involved.
After sentencing, a spokesman for Cleveland Police said the 13-year-old was the youngest
person in the force area to be placed on the sex offenders' register.
'Unwitting victim'
Mr Prowse said: "It is a disturbing case in that someone as young as you was so
readily able to get access to this type of material, not just photos of girls of young
age, but children engaging in thoroughly indecent acts.
"You yourself became an unwitting victim of the pornography that is available on the
internet to be peddled."
Mr Prowse accepted evidence that the teenager had downloaded large batches of images
without knowing the exact content in his efforts to find pictures of girls his age.
All the indications are you are being well brought up in a secure family environment
He said that the boy would not necessarily have chosen all the pictures he actually
downloaded had the choice been available.
He ordered the hard drive on the boy's computer be destroyed, but allowed the rest of the
equipment to be returned to the family.
The magistrate ordered that £83 prosecution costs be paid within 28 days.
He declined the opportunity to place a binding order on the parents, saying: "All the
indications are you are being well brought up in a secure family environment."