Canvey paedophile is given community order (From Echo)

Canvey paedophile is given community order

3:57pm Tuesday 18th September 2012 in News By Emma Palmer

A CANVEY man who downloaded almost 300 sickening pornographic images of children was sentenced to a three year community order.

Officers found a catalogue of indecent photographs of youngsters as young as 12 on Michael Fiddy’s laptop, after his wife discovered the images when the couple were going through a divorce.

Fiddy, of Thorney Bay Caravan Park – who has now reconciled with his ex-wife – was made the subject of a three-year community order at Basildon Crown Court yesterday.

His Honour Judge John Lodge indicated he would have preferred to pass a custodial sentence on Fiddy. However, he said the only way to ensure the unemployed 40-year-old gets the lengthy supervision and treatment he needs, would be to place him under the community order.

Sentencing Fiddy – who had 291 images in total, including 48 images at the worst levels on his computer and copied on to a disc – Judge Lodge said:” I do not like the term ‘child pornography’. These are images of child abuse.

“Children are abused and photographed for the gratification of yourself and others- and suffer because of it.”

Fiddy pleaded guilty to downloading 208 level one images, six level two images, 29 level three images, 45 level four images and three level five images, between November 3 and December 10 last year.

The court heard his wife Gillian, discovered the images on a computer, when she went back to collect her possessions from the home they shared at the caravan park. She took the laptop and CD straight to police.

Wearing a T-shirt and glasses, Fiddy, who lives off benefits, remained silent in the dock as he was told he will have to complete an extensive internet sex offenders treatment programme and be on probation for three years.

He will also have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years.

Fiddy, who had no previous convictions, was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which bans him from using a computer.