Man put on sex offenders register for child images
A Mid Wales man has been placed on the sex offenders register for five years after he admitted making one indecent image of a child and distributing another.
Defendant William Edward Seaston, 66, of Chestnut View Road in Oldford, Welshpool, was made the subject of a five-year sexual offences prevention order.
At Mold Crown Court, he was placed on a three-year community order, with 40 days rehabilitation, and he was sent on a programme.
Judge Rhys Rowlands said that the offences came to light 15 months ago when the police took possession of his mobile phone.
An investigation into the activities of a another man revealed that Seaston had sent him a category C image.
Police then found a more serious category A image on his mobile phone. The number of images was two which was far less then was normally seen in the crown court, he said.
But they remained "serious and disturbing offences", aggravated by the young age of the children involved and the nature of the category A image.
The judge said that he took into account that the defendant suffered from ill-health.
Prosecuting barrister Jo Maxwell told how the defendant admitted that he had sent an image during a fantasy chat but denied having an interest in under-age children.
Defending barrister Jonathan Austin said that the defendant was awaiting treatment for tumours in his throat. He worked as a driver but was signed off by his GP.
Mr Austin said that his client was "embarrassed and ashamed" to have got involved in the offences.
He was a low risk of re-offending and was suitable for intervention by the probation service and to take part in a programme aimed at confronting his behaviour and making sure that it did not happen again.
Seaston admitted at an earlier hearing making by downloading the category A photo of a child in November 2018, and distributing a class C image to a child aged between four and six in September 2017.
