A COMMUNITY order has been handed to a man caught with over 1,000 child abuse images downloaded from a Ukrainian website.

Stephen Ford, of Balfour Road, Oxford, was caught on October 16 last year with nine Category A images, seven Category B images and 948 Category images.

The 40-year-old was charged with three counts of possessing indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child and pleaded guilty at Oxford Magistrates Court on July 23.

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At Oxford Crown Court on Friday (August 23), Ford was handed a three-year community order by Judge Maria Lamb.

Sentencing, Her Honour said: “I’ve got to sentence you for a significant number of images. Every child depicted is a victim.

“There are aggravating features here, there are moving images involved.

“I’m told you’re remorseful and the best indicator of that was your cooperation from an early stage.

“You were forthcoming in you admissions when arrested and interviewed. You have no previous convictions and you have not committed any offences since.”

During the proceedings, it was heard that Thames Valley Police had seized two mobile phones from the defendant who made full admissions after officers arrived at the address.

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He was originally charged with downloading the images from April 11, 2004. However, it later emerged that he had only had access to the phone from 2020.

His defence barrister suggested it was because the images had been downloaded from a Ukrainian ‘modelling’ website which was shut down in 2004.

The court heard that Ford has no previous convictions.

His defence barrister explained that Ford had ‘suffered from childhood trauma’ and was later bullied in school.

He then struggled with adult relationships so had turned to adult pornography before becoming ‘desensitised’ and downloading indecent images of children which he claims he had come across by accident.

Ford said he was ‘relieved’ when he was arrested, stating that he ‘wanted his behaviour to end’.

The court heard that the defendant has numerous health issues including Type 1 diabetes and is now completely blind in one eye.

A probation officer, in a pre-sentence report, also stated Ford displays evidence of ‘a moderate mental disorder’.

They added that the defendant ‘can be managed within the community’.

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His defence barrister also stated Ford had sought out help for his cannabis addiction with Turning Point in Oxfordshire.

Ford was also fined £500 and was ordered to complete a 30-day accredited programme, five rehabilitation activity days and six months of mental health treatment.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.