Paedophile caught with over 40,000 indecent images of children.

A man dubbed a "monster" by authorities has been found to possess over 40,000 indecent images of children on his laptop and phone. However, he avoided a prison sentence.

John Godbehere, aged 51, of Broomhill, Sheffield, was found to have 44,852 indecent images of children on a laptop and 3,944 indecent images of children on a phone at his former family home. This was revealed in Sheffield Crown Court on September 5.

Recorder Patrick Palmer, presiding over the case, addressed Godbehere, who works for the civil service, stating that in December 2020, authorities became aware of images being uploaded from his address. Following an investigation, officers discovered the vast collection of images, categorized from A to C, with category A being the most severe.

The court also learned that Godbehere had engaged in online conversations with other individuals about sexually abusing and raping children. Godbehere admitted to three charges of making indecent images and one count of distributing indecent images of a child.

Recorder Lambert, during the sentencing, condemned the actions of Godbehere, stating, "These are despicable and disgusting offenses. Each and every one of those children is a genuine victim, and that does not appear to have occurred to you until recently."

The court acknowledged the gravity of the offenses, highlighting the suffering of the children depicted in the images, the extended period of Godbehere's actions, the sheer volume of images, and his efforts to conceal them using software.

However, Recorder Palmer considered Godbehere's previous good character, his remorse, and his efforts to address his offending. Consequently, Godbehere was sentenced to 16 months of custody, suspended for two years, along with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement.

He was also added to the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same duration.