Photographer had vile sex abuse images of children

A professional photographer who was caught with over 1,000 vile images of children and babies being horrifically sexually abused has been sent to prison.
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Colin Butterfield, 46, was jailed for 12 months after a court heard he made internet searches using terms including ‘boy rape’.

Police went to Butterfield’s home on Agbrigg Road, Wakefield, after receiving intelligence from authorities in Canada that he had been accessing indecent images of children.

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Computer equipment was seized and found to contain 1,165 illegal images.

James Weekes, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court that 106 images and 16 movies were at category A - the most serious level of offending.

Some images featured babies as young as 18 months old being sexually abused.

Butterfield was arrested and admitted to officers that he had been accessing the illegal material since 2008 and got sexual gratification from the images.

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He pleaded guilty to 16 offences of making indecent photographs of children.

Michael Jowett, mitigating, said Butterfield was a freelance photographer but had now closed down his business as his work had brought him in contact with children and young families.

He said Butterfield had been honest with police about the offences and had been for counselling to help him understand his behaviour and prevent him re-offending. He said: “Mr Butterfield is not under the illusion that this is something that can be cured. He realises that it is a serious problem that needs to be addressed.”

Recorder Andrew Stubbs, QC, said: “There are some offences that come before the court that are so serious only an immediate custodial sentence can be passed.”