Pervert who abused girl found to have thousands of indecent images of children on his computer

Jeffrey Powell was arrested as a result of the police visit to his home in Boston after he had been reported for sexual assault, and when his computer was checked police discovered the images.

Jeremy Janes, prosecuting, said that the images were mainly of girls aged between eight and 12 but Powell denied he gained any sexual gratification from them.

The girl who made the original complaint about being abused which resulted in the police visit told how she had been sexually assaulted by Powell. As a result he was prosecuted and subsequently convicted by a jury of offences against her following a trial in October last year.

Powell, 67, of Skirbeck Road, Boston, was jailed for four years and given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for life.

Powell denied offences of sexual assault, exposure and voyeurism but was found guilty by the jury. He admitted three charges of making of 11,975 indecent images of children including 106 which were in the most serious category.

Mr Janes said: "When his computer was examined images were found. He had one such image as a screen saver. It showed naked girls aged 13 to 14 years old."

Recorder William Harbage QC, passing sentence, told Powell: "You were touching this girl for your own sexual gratification. I'm quite satisfied you had the images for your own sexual gratification and that you are sexually attracted to pubescent and pre-pubescent girls."

Michael Cranmer-Brown, for Powell, said: "He is in his late 60s and has no previous convictions. He recently had a hip operation.

"The person who will suffer most from his incarceration is his wife. She has health issues and he is her principal carer. He does the driving, takes her shopping and does the cooking. She is going to be seriously adversely affected by him not being at home."