Tamworth man caught with 'disgusting' images of bestiality

A SEX offender from Tamworth was caught with “disgusting” pictures of bestiality during a police check on his activities.

Loner David Russell tried to shut officers out when they called at his house last April, Stafford Crown Court heard.

The defendant is a lifer on the sex offenders’ register after being jailed for pornography offences in 2003.

Mr Paul Farrow, prosecuting, said police managed to get in and despite Russell’s protests that they “wouldn’t find anything” seized a key ring containing a USB memory stick and a pack of playing cards.

Both contained images of extreme pornography depicting acts of bestiality.

A computer hard-drive also had a total of five images of child pornography.

The 63-year-old admitted three charges of possessing extreme pornography and three of possessing indecent images. He was given a three year community order, with £300 costs to pay and banned from working with children and vulnerable adults.

Judge Paul Glenn branded the extreme images as “disgusting” and told him: “It beggars belief that anyone can derive pleasure from looking at it. Typically you denied possessing this for your own sexual gratification, as suggestion I regard as ridiculous.”

The judge added that the public would be better protected from Russell, of Crigdon, Stonydelph, by a long period of supervision than a very short sentence in prison.

The court heard that in 2003 Russell was jailed for 18 months for offences of indecent images of children and put on the sex offenders’ register for life. In November 2010 he was prosecuted for failing to register.

Mr Farrow said that when questioned, Russell made no comment. He was asked if he knew what bestiality was and he replied that he didn’t get any sexual gratification from looking at the images.

Mr William Dudley, defending, said: “In isolation, it can be fairly said these offences fall in to a low category.”  TamworthHearld