Sex offender from Skegness who downloaded indecent images of children avoids jail sentence
He pleaded guilty to three charges of downloading indecent images of children
A convicted sex offender who was caught with over 700 indecent images of children after police searched his Skegness home has been handed given a suspended jail sentence.
Glenn Winchester, 32, was arrested in July 2024 after Lincolnshire Police received a referral from Snapchat relating to the video of female child being raped by an adult male, Lincoln Crown Court heard.
Neil Sands, prosecuting, told the court: "The email address was registered to this defendant."
Police found indecent images of children on an iPhone seized during a search of Winchester's Skegness home.
They included 194 still images and 89 videos in the most serious Category A, 255 still images and 53 videos in Category B, and 130 still images and 20 videos in Category C. A single Category C video was also found on a second iPhone belonging to Winchester.
During his first police interview Winchester denied having any indecent images of children.
The court heard Winchester had been made the subject of a 10 year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) after he was convicted of similar offences in 2020.
Winchester, of Castleton Boulevard, Skegness, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children following his arrest on 18 July 2024.
He also admitted breaching the terms of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order by failing to declare one of the iPhones to his risk offender manager.
Tom Heath, mitigating, argued any jail sentence would be purely "punitive" and lead to the loss of his flat and cleaning job.
"He needs intervention, he needs support," Mr Heath submitted.
Mr Heath added Winchester had stopped his alcohol and drug taking.
Passing sentence on Thursday, November 12, Recorder Simon King stressed this was not a "victimless crime."
"It's people like you who create the market place for such pictures," he said.
But Recorder King said he accepted Winchester had made positive changes and would be better managed in the community.
Winchester was sentenced to two and half years imprisonment suspended for three years.
He must also comply with a probation requirement, complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the community and pay £150 costs.
A new ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order was also made on Winchester.