Downloaded more than 11,000 indecent images of children.

Former Financial Expert Sentenced for Child Pornography Possession

Terence Patrick Corcoran, 48, a former director of a financial-services company in Scarborough, was sentenced to a four-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to possessing thousands of indecent images of children.

York Crown Court heard that Corcoran had downloaded 11,236 images, including 235 Category A images – the most serious – and 140 Category B images. The offensive material was downloaded between May 2011 and December 2012.

Police raided Corcoran's home in May 2014 after suspicious internet activity was traced to his computers. Corcoran admitted downloading a "vast amount" of child pornography but claimed it wasn't deliberate and that he hadn't actively searched for vile material. He told officers he had been on morphine at the time following a series of serious health scares.

However, the prosecution argued that Corcoran had deliberately searched for child porn and installed "easy-hide" software to browse the web anonymously. They also pointed out that Corcoran had used extremely graphic search terms and those for specific ages of young children, ranging from six to 14.

Corcoran's defense argued that he had serious, genetic heart problems at the time and underwent 11 operations, including open-heart surgery, between 2010 and 2014. They claimed that Corcoran was convinced he was going to die during this period and was in a "fatalistic attitude."

Judge Andrew Stubbs QC acknowledged Corcoran's health issues and his "fatalistic attitude" but emphasized the seriousness of the crime. He said the "large volume" of material found on Corcoran's computers, along with his use of "wiping" software to delete some of the images, were aggravating factors.

Corcoran was also ordered to sign on the sex-offenders' register for seven years and a sexual-harm prevention order was made, including internet strictures designed to prevent him from reoffending.