Man jailed for sharing 'horrific' child abuse images
Paul Smith was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court
- Published
A man has been jailed after downloading and sharing hundreds of "serious" and "horrific" sexual abuse images, including some involving babies and very young children.
Paul Smith admitted eight offences relating to indecent images, Nottinghamshire Police said.
The force said the 43-year-old came to officers' attention when his IP address was linked to illicit pictures and videos stored on an online file sharing site.
He was sentenced to four years in prison on Monday, Nottingham Crown Court said.
Smith, of Meadow Brown Road, Nottingham, pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing an indecent photograph of a child, and three counts of making indecent photographs of a child.
He also admitted possessing an extreme pornographic image of an animal, and possessing a prohibited image of a child.
'As bad as it gets'
After he was arrested in February 2022, police said forensic examination of his mobile phone uncovered prohibited images.
Officers also found history from an online chat application where he shared and viewed hundreds of links to images and videos featuring children and babies.
Police said most of them were graded as category A – depicting the most serious sexual abuse of children by adults.
As well as being jailed, the court said Smith was given a three-year extended licence upon release.
He was also added to the sex offenders register for life and given a sexual harm prevention order that will restrict his access to children and the internet once he is released.
Det Con Sarah Clarke said: "Smith was involved in the distribution of some of the most horrific images I have come across in my policing career – some involving babies and very young children.
"These images really were as bad as it gets."
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