Locations
Duck Street, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7
Description
Clitheroe sex offender jailed after indecent images found on laptop
Richard De’Andrade, 56, of Duck Street, Clitheroe, has been jailed after police found indecent images of children on a laptop seized during monitoring of a sexual harm prevention order.
De’Andrade was already subject to that order after a 2016 suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court for making indecent images.
On 19 February last year, officers attended his home and seized a laptop. Forensic examination found one category A image, one category B image and 23 category C images of children.
Prosecuting at Preston Crown Court, Paul Brookwell said the images were in thumbnail form, which meant De’Andrade had previously viewed them in full. Police also recovered a USB stick concealed under a tray that had not been made available for inspection, breaching the existing order. Analysis of the USB found no offending material.
De’Andrade admitted the offences. Defending, Bob Elias offered little mitigation, describing the offences as “unpleasant,” and asked the court to consider the defendant’s ill health and that he is awaiting a heart operation.
Sentencing, Judge Michael Maher said: “You are a person with considerable technical ability and experience in the field of cyber security and computing.
“It may be a relatively small number of images, but people like you create a demand for this filth, so you contribute to the continued harm of the children depicted.”
De’Andrade was sentenced to 16 months in prison. The previous sexual harm prevention order was quashed and replaced with a new 15-year order. He will also be subject to sex offender notification requirements for 15 years. A deprivation order was made for the laptop and USB stick.