A JUDGE told a paedophile who denied having an interest in children, ‘you need to come to terms with what you are and what you have done’.

James Baker’s home was raided by police officers who recovered devices storing multiple indecent images of children, a court heard.

Prosecuting, Joseph Kindley said Cheshire Police received intelligence about a snapchat username linked to the defendant, of Coronation Drive, Widnes.

On September 15, 2022, a search warrant of his address was issued, and police seized two devices, an iPhone and a Samsung hard drive, which were taken for ‘forensic examination’.

Mr Kindley said 28 indecent images of children were recovered from the devices as well as five other prohibited images of children.

“He was following groups relating to child abuse,” he added. 

The 33-year-old was arrested on September 15 and provided a no comment interview. However, after police had carried out examinations of the devices recovered from his home, Mr Kindley said a further interview was carried out with police.

“The defendant accepted that the devices belonged to him and that the indecent images were sent on Snapchat,” he said.

Baker told police that ‘he did not have an interest in children’ and in relation to the prohibited images of children, explained that he ‘did not realise they were illegal’ because they were animated.

The courts recognise indecent images of children in categories ranging from the most severe, being category A to the least severe, category C.

All 28 indecent images that were found on Baker’s devices were category C images.

Defending, Mr Wakes said: “This is a young man who spent an unhealthy amount of time in isolation during covid. This seems to become an unhealthy addiction, being pornography.”

He added that Bakers parents had attended the court in support of their son.

The defendant appeared at Warrington Magistrates Court on Tuesday (March 19) having indicated a guilty plea to possession of prohibited images, making of indecent images of children and possession of indecent images of children.

Before sentencing, chair of the bench Ian Johnstone addressed the defendant directly.

“We are unbelievably concerned about your behaviour. You say you do not know how these images appeared,” he said.

“You are interested in child pornography and that is why you are in this court today.

“You need to come to terms with what you are and what you have done.”

He handed Baker a 24-month community order with the terms being to complete 35 rehabilitation days and 100 hours of unpaid work as well as paying £234 to the courts.