Drug Addict Sentenced for Child Pornography

Ryan Parker, 39, of Whalley Road, Blackburn, was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to three counts of possession of indecent photographs of children.

Parker admitted to looking at the images while under the influence of drugs and told the court that his offense was "one million per cent" down to his alcohol and drug addiction.

Lancashire Police attended Parker's home on March 29, 2022, after receiving evidence that he had been viewing child pornography. Parker allowed the police into his home and admitted to the offense. During a search of the house, police found empty snap bags believed to have contained drugs.

Parker provided his laptop, mobile phone, and passwords to the devices, including the iCloud database. The police investigation revealed 506 images of children aged between 5 to 12 years old that Parker had viewed over a three-year period.

In mitigation, Shirlie Duckworth stated that Parker had attended rehabilitation services for drug addiction and child pornography before being charged. She emphasized Parker's previous good character and remorse for his actions.

Judge Daniel Prowse acknowledged Parker's remorse and rehabilitation efforts but highlighted the severity of his offense, stating, "You had 296 of some of the most serious images for this offense."

Parker was also placed on the sex offender's register for 10 years and handed a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.