Harrogate man jailed for making and possessing more than 24,000 indecent images of children

John William Marshall, 63, of Fairfax Avenue, was jailed for 15 months at York Crown Court.

During an unrelated investigation in January 2018, North Yorkshire Police officers seized hard disks and other electronic devices from Marshall, which were forensically examined. More than 24,000 indecent images children were found, including 76 images and videos of category A - the most serious kind.

Marshall, who has links to the Northallerton area, was charged with making more than 24,000 indecent photographs of a child, possessing more than 1,000 prohibited images of a child and possessing 13 extreme pornographic images.

He pleaded guilty at York Crown Court earlier this year, and was sentenced there today to 15 months’ imprisonment. He was also placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years, and made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, which includes the requirement that he should have no contact with children except with the consent of a parent and Social Services.

Adam Harland, of North Yorkshire Police, said: "Every indecent photograph is a result of a child suffering from abuse. Through these offences, Marshall has been fuelling that abuse, wherever it has taken place.

"If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, whether it is happening now or in the past, please contact the police. Even if it is not possible to put an offender before the courts, it's important that you are offered the support and advice that is available. Your information could also help to protect other victims and help the police form a wider picture of offending.

"We appreciate that telling the police what has happened takes courage. It is not easy reliving such distressing situations. We understand this and have specially trained officers who will guide you through the process as well as directing you to other agencies who can help you.

"Child sexual abuse and exploitation is a foremost priority for all police forces and all reports will be fully investigated. Please do not suffer alone – if you have been abused, please report it."