Paedophile collected nearly 2,000 'appalling' child abuse images.

Paedophile Jailed for Collecting Nearly 2,000 Child Abuse Images

James Mercer, 41, of Ashburn Avenue, Tower Hill, Kirkby, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison after admitting to possessing 1,997 indecent images of children.

Mercer was previously issued a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2013 after being caught with indecent images of children. Despite this, he downloaded a new collection of images between 2018 and 2021, including 368 Category A images depicting child rape.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that while Mercer was not in breach of the SOPO, his previous convictions were considered an aggravating factor. Judge Recorder Michael Taylor deemed the offenses serious enough to warrant an immediate custodial sentence.

In addition to the prison sentence, Mercer was given a new indefinite SOPO and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

An NSPCC spokesperson condemned Mercer's actions, stating: "Every child featured in these indecent images is a victim of horrific abuse. The demand created for this appalling material by offenders like James Mercer means he shares responsibility for their terrible experiences. The NSPCC is determined to ensure the Government's upcoming Online Safety Bill is strengthened to prevent offenders like Mercer from using the online world as a gateway to abuse children."