A 67-year-old Ruardean man has been sentenced to a suspended 10 month jail term for possessing 118 indecent images and 26 indecent videos of children.

Prosecutor Andy Pickett explained to Gloucester Crown Court on Friday (January 27) that Stephen Broadbent of Highfield Road, Ruardean was arrested on June 18, 2020 in relation to another, unrelated, inquiry.

“As part of this original investigation a search was made of his home and two laptop computers were seized and analysed, which were found with indecent images and videos of children on them,” said the prosecutor.

There were 25 category A videos, which featured the most explicit material, and one B category video was less serious.

Mr Pickett added: “As an example one girl was aged between six and nine while most of the others victims were prepubescent.”

Susan Cavender defending, explained that Broadbent had originally been reported for misappropriate behaviour towards a teenage girl and that during her time with him, he had allowed this girl to use his computer.

Ms Cavender added: “Broadbent has always admitted downloading images of boys, but not girls and believes the teenager was responsible for this. He has been consistent about this since the day of his arrest. He has held his hands up to what he has done.

“Broadbent explains that he was abused as a child and said that the found the videos ‘comforting’ and his attention was drawn to videos and images of boys being abused as this helps him realise he was not the only one being exploited in this way.”

Ms Cavender told the court: “He states that this was his way of coping with his childhood trauma, which wasn’t his fault. Broadbent has struggled with this part of his mental health and he didn’t do it for any sexual gratification.

“He has also recently lost his wife, who he had cared for in her final period of her life. Combined with his childhood trauma, Broadbent realises he now needs professional support for his mental health.”

Broadband pleaded guilty to possessing and making indecent images of children between January 1, 2020 and June 19, 2020 - namely 47 videos and still images of Category A, a video and 43 images of Category B between the same dates and 53 images at category C during the same time span.

The judge, Recorder Mathew Turner told Broadbent that he had seen all the documentation submitted on his behalf and had taken his mitigation into account in coming to a 10 month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months.

Recorder Turner said: “Your computers were found with 144 indecent images and videos of children. 

“Your mitigation in which you claim you did not download images of girls and only boys is one I don’t accept.

“The children of both genders were as young as nine years old, which means there is a vast number of unknown victims. 

“You also claimed you did not gain any sexual gratification from the downloaded images, but I don’t find this explanation credible.

“The circumstances in which you were arrested and these images discovered demonstrates that there is some risk of repetition in the future.”

The judge sentenced Broadbent to a prison term of 10 months and suspended it for 24 months and subjected him to an interim sexual health prevention order and sex offender registration.

The judge also ordered that Broadbent complete 43 programme days with probation and 55 rehabilitation activity requirement days.