A 15-YEAR-OLD boy who admitted possessing 178 indecent photos of a child has been given a 12-month referral order.
The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, had been on bail for 11 months up until his latest appearance at Barnsley Youth Court on Tuesday.
He pleaded guilty to the charges of making indecent photographs of a child between January 1 and August 10 of last year on February 6, although his sentencing had been delayed after District Judge Naomi Redhouse criticised a pre-sentence report’s contents at a previous hearing in May.
The charges relate to 103 ‘Category A’ photos - which involve penetrative sexual activity - 31 non-penetrative Category B photos and 44 other indecent photos, known as Category C.
At Tuesday’s sentencing, Ms Redhouse again blasted the contents of a fresh report - compiled by Barnsley Youth Offending Team (YOT) - labelling some parts as ‘seriously inaccurate’.
“I am concerned with the report again,” she said. “A YOT colleague specifically withdrew the previous report and I expected to see a whole new one.
“I asked for a post-sentence plan last time and this should have been in the report so we’re back in the same position as before. It’s important that when the court’s involvement ends, agencies are all lined up and in place.”
The hearing was temporarily adjourned while the details of a post-sentence plan was agreed on, which will see agencies including social services, the children and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) and Barnsley YOT work together to prevent repeat offending.
Ms Redhouse warned about the perils of using the internet when delivering her sentence to the boy.
“You now understand the seriousness of this situation and I don’t think you did when you first appeared in court,” she said.
“I think your domestic circumstances were unusual, something which led to social isolation, which then led you down a particular rabbit hole.
“The internet can be like Alice in Wonderland as you can go further and further into it. The route you went down was dangerous and illegal.
“You are susceptible to the bad things out there and a lot of work will have to be done to prevent re-offending.
“Agencies felt that they needed to act straight away. I know until sentence is passed, a lot of the work that is still to be done can’t commence, hence why we need to move forward and have an intensive referral order in place.
“I’m making this order because I have every confidence that I will not see you in court again.”
Kathryn Lill, the youngster’s solicitor, added: “The main point I am desperate to make is that he has been working with the police since August 10 of last year. He has complied throughout and has never missed an appointment. There’s never been a question he hasn’t answered.
“The risk level has been looked at and the likelihood of re-offending. I understand the risk but I believe it can be managed. He’s come so far and I genuinely believe the referral order is appropriate.”
An NSPCC spokesman said there was help for young people who display harmful sexual behaviour.
“The images in this young man’s possession depict the horrific abuse of children and anyone viewing this kind of material fuels demand in this appalling online industry,” she said.
“The NSPCC’s Turn the Page service works with young people who display harmful sexual behaviour and helps them to overcome feelings which, in some cases, may have led them to sexually harm another child.”
