Pervert caught with more than 1,000 sex abuse images of children as young as two.

Former Newcastle Councillor Sentenced for Child Pornography Offenses

David Besag, a former Liberal Democrat councillor in Newcastle, has been sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years, after admitting to child pornography offences.

The 50-year-old, who served as a councillor in the Walkergate ward from 2004 to 2010, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child, one of possessing a prohibited image of a child, and one of possessing extreme porn.

Police discovered over 1,000 images and videos of child abuse, including some depicting children as young as two, on Besag's electronic devices. The collection spanned categories A, B, and C, with the most serious category A containing 34 images and 23 videos.

Besag also possessed prohibited images of a child and a large number of extreme pornographic videos and images involving animals and adult males.

The court heard that Besag had downloaded the illegal material over an 18-year period, including during his time as a councillor.

A Newcastle Lib Dem spokesperson stated that Besag is no longer a member of the party and would never have been selected to stand for office if his crimes had been known at the time. They expressed sympathy for the children and families affected by his actions.

In addition to the suspended sentence, Besag was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for seven years and must register as a sex offender for the same period.