Harrogate man who downloaded thousands of indecent images over eight years spared jail

Philip Grange, 52, from Follifoot, trawled the web for sickening photos and videos of children and distributed a “large number” of those images, York Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Brooke Morrison said that Grange, a farm worker and father-of-one, was downloading the vile material from 2012 to his arrest in 2020.

In that time, he had amassed 4,203 indecent images of children, of which 687 were rated Category A – the worst kind of such material.

Police searched his home in August 2020 and seized several devices including mobile phones, a laptop, tablet and memory stick.

Five of these devices contained illicit material, including 75 prohibited or cartoon images of children.

Analysis of the devices also revealed 190 images featuring extreme pornography including bestiality.

Ms Morrison said Grange had also been using the KIK messenger app to access and distribute a “large number of (illegal) files”.

Police found that Grange had been engaging in debauched chats with like-minded individuals on the social-media platform.

Grange, who is also a grandfather, had been exchanging his own depraved material for images collected by others.

“Chats were found where users said they were children and they were very explicit conversations including (chats) about incest,” added Ms Morrison.

There were also a “large number” of internet searches for incest found on Grange’s devices.

Grange, of Hillside, Follifoot, was charged with three counts of possessing or making indecent images of children, three counts of distribution and one count of possessing extreme pornography.

He admitted all offences and appeared for sentence today (November 3).

Ms Morrison said Grange had “active involvement (in a) network for distributing (indecent images)”.

Defence barrister Ismael Uddin said Grange was “socially isolated” but had worked all his life and was an otherwise “productive member of society”.

Grange had never been in trouble before and had a “lack of insight into the real harm caused (to children featured in the images)”.

Following his arrest, Grange told a probation officer that it was a “relief” to be caught because he “knew what he was doing was wrong”.

Recorder Paul Reid said Grange had a “totally unacceptable and perverted interest in pornography, in particular images of child abuse”.

“Every (indecent) photo…and video that is viewed is of a child being abused and sometimes in the most atrocious fashion,” added Mr Reid.

He told Grange: “You indulged in chats (and) some of that material is totally disgusting, utterly reprehensible.”

He said Grange’s offending was aggravated by the length of time he had been downloading the vile material and the “sheer volume” of images he had collected.

However, he said he had noted that Grange, though now an isolated figure, had employment and a family background and had lived an otherwise law-abiding life.

He said for those reasons he could suspend the inevitable jail sentence.

Grange was given a 20-month suspended prison term and ordered to carry out 200 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also ordered to complete up to 40 days’ rehabilitation activity and made subject to a 10-year sexual-harm prevention order, mainly designed to curb his internet activities.

Grange was also placed on the sex-offenders’ register and ordered to pay £425 prosecution costs.