Paul Monks

A 49-year-old man from Sunderland appeared in court charged with possessing a large number of indecent images of children. Paul Monks, residing on Chester Road near High Barnes, faced three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child after police seized devices from his property.

Prosecutor John Garside informed magistrates at South Tyneside that the devices contained 387 images categorised as A, the most serious level, along with 144 category B images and 51 category C images. This discovery prompted Monks' court appearance where he entered guilty pleas to all counts.

The case coincides with Monks' upcoming sentencing at Newcastle Crown Court on 17 December 2025 for breaching a sexual harm prevention order, a separate matter. Defence representative Ian Cassidy argued that it would be logical to combine the sentencing for the new offences with the breach, suggesting commitment to the crown court. Magistrates agreed and remitted the child images case to Newcastle Crown Court for sentencing on the same date.

Following the hearing, Monks was made subject to the notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, requiring him to report to a police station within three days to provide personal details. The offences relate to possession of indecent images, highlighting ongoing concerns about child exploitation in the region, as reported by the Sunderland Echo on 19 November 2025.