Record details
A Catholic friar who admitted making hundreds and possessing thousands of indecent images of children walked out of court today with a suspended sentence.
Father Timothy Gardner, 42, of Sutton, was caught with more than 500 pictures of children and more than 5,000 prohibited images downloaded onto his computer in August last year. He also pleaded guilty to 10 counts of making indecent images of children.
Gardner had taught religious education at Maria Fidelis Catholic School in Euston, and had also been based at St Dominic’s Priory in Gospel Oak.
After admitting to the charges at a hearing earlier this month, Gardner was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years at Southwark Crown Court today.
He was also given a five year sexual offences prevention order and will be on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
Acting Detective Chief Inspector Keith Braithwaite, of the Met's Paedophile Command, said: "Every indecent image accessed by Timothy Gardner was a real child, a vulnerable victim of crime.
"His selfish and abhorrent actions have contributed significantly to the destruction of these vulnerable victim's childhoods. The MPS Paedophile Unit will identify and bring those that possess and distribute these images to justice."
