Judge hands paedophile 10-year Net ban

A convicted paedophile was banned from Internet chat rooms for ten years yesterday after pleading guilty to possessing images of child abuse involving boys as young as 18 months old. Christopher Dunkley, 36, from Great Yarmouth, was also jailed for two-and-a-half years after admitting 19 charges of making and six charges of distributing indecent images of children.

In sentencing, Judge Simon Barham told Dunkley: "This is necessary to protect the public from you." Dunkley served two years in jail following a conviction for indecently assaulting a boy in a public toilet 10 years ago.

Norwich Crown Court heard that Dunkley used chat rooms to share fantasies with other paedophiles and to exchange pornographic images. Police recovered CDs containing more than 300 film clips featuring child abuse when they raided his home in June 2003. They also discovered 5,000 depraved images on his computer.

Judge Barham ordered Dunkley to be placed on the sex-offenders' register for an indefinite period. In an attempt to prevent further offending, Judge Barham also ordered Dunkley to serve four years probation following his release.

Dunkley's Net banning order is reportedly the first made under the Sex Offenders Act 2003, which became law in May. But its not the first time UK judges have prohibited convicted paedophiles from venturing online. ®

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