A County Durham pensioner has been sentenced for downloading a vast collection of indecent images depicting the sexual abuse of children. Derek Bannon, aged 82, from Sycamore Park in Brandon, amassed more than 1,500 such images on his computer, contributing to the demand for child sexual abuse material.
The offences came to light following Bannon's arrest in August 2024, after police seized his devices. A forensic examination revealed 861 Category A images—the most serious category—along with 478 Category B and 367 Category C images. These included still photographs and videos showing young children in discernible pain and distress, with some content involving incestuous abuse. The downloads spanned from September 2023 to August 2024, as reported at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court.
Prosecutor Sara Kemp outlined the horrific nature of the material during the hearing. Bannon, however, claimed to the probation service that he viewed the images out of curiosity and derived no sexual pleasure from them. Despite this, the court heard that he had deleted the images only to restore them later, indicating a lack of remorse or horror at the content.
Mitigating, Warren Ridley urged District Judge Stephen Hood to adopt the pre-sentence report's recommendations, suggesting a suspended sentence to mark the seriousness of the offences. Judge Hood acknowledged the gravity of Bannon's actions, stating: “Your devices were taken away by the police and were examined, on them were found a huge number of moving and still images of children being abused. I accept that you didn’t take these images, you downloaded them, and by doing so, you create a market for this sort of behaviour, you contribute directly to the sexual abuse of children.” He further noted: “This was a huge number of photographs you downloaded, you deleted those images, but then put them back on to your computer. These are not the actions of somebody who is horrified by what they saw.”
In sentencing, Judge Hood imposed a 12-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months, considering Bannon's age and the probation report. Bannon was also subjected to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, required to register as a sex offender for the same period, and ordered to complete 40 days of rehabilitation activities to address his deviant behaviour. The judge warned: “Further offences in that 18 months will likely send you to prison. If you don’t comply with the Probation Service it will likely send you to prison. I’m giving you this opportunity to reform your views and stop you going into custody.”
The case was handled by Durham Constabulary, highlighting ongoing efforts to combat child sexual exploitation through digital means. This incident underscores the legal consequences of possessing and distributing indecent images, even if not produced by the offender themselves.