Plymouth Royal Navy diver had so many child abuse images cops gave up counting
A ROYAL Navy diver with so many indecent images of children on his computers that police gave up counting has avoided prison.
James Mitchelmore, aged 32, admitted having 4,440 pornographic pictures – but officers believe there could have been more than 100,000.
The Devon and Cornwall force has a policy not to count and classify images after 2,000 to 3,000, Plymouth Crown Court was told.
Judge Graham Cottle said: "People like you looking at images late at night in drink and on cocaine encourages others to abuse these children. That is why it is so serious."
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He added that some of the images were in the most severe category and some involved children aged anywhere between one and five. One is the lowest category and five is the most serious.
But the judge said if Mitchelmore served a relatively short jail sentence he would come out of prison untreated for his sexual interest in children.
He added: "I think the interests of the public will be best served if you attend the Internet Sex Offender Treatment Programme and the Thinking Skills Programme.
"That has a better chance of success than sending you to prison."
Judge Cottle also handed him a 52-week prison sentence, suspended for two years. he must pay £1,000 towards prosecution costs.
Mitchelmore, of Porteous Close, Devonport, had earlier admitted 15 charges of making or downloading indecent images of children and one charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
Sarah Vince, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said police searched Mitchelmore's previous address in St Judes on August 2, 2010.
She said they found "100,000 unique images in relation to this case" on two computers and a USB case.
Miss Vince the police stopped counting the images when they had classified 4,404.
She added the pictures had been downloaded over four years and Internet search terms recovered from the machines showed a sexual interest in children.
Deni Matthews, for Mitchelmore, said he had been a Navy diver for 12 years but had left once he was charged.
He added Mitchelmore had not immediately confessed his crimes because of "fear and embarrassment".
Mr Matthews said: "These offences came to light in 2010, and it is two years since he accessed this sort of material."
He added that he had looked at the images upon returning from the pub, sometimes with friends.
Mr Matthews said that although some of the images were in password-protected files, the password was written on a sticker on the computer and known to several people.
But he added: "He accepts he was the substantial operator and he has frankly said now that there was some gratification."
Judge Cottle said: "There was such an enormous amount of material that the police stopped counting.
"Who knows how many level four and level five images there were?"
Mitchelmore must also sign the Sex Offender Register for five years.
He was also handed a Sex Offences Prevention Order to bar him having contact with children.
Comments
by jaynenothappy
Wednesday, October 24 2012, 4:21AM
“well said supergill, like it, or shuv the vile freak into the congo, and let the people of the congo do there deeds to el freako.. peeps he shud never be alowed to have human contact wot so ever again, also to add, i was sexualy abused at 8 years old, so when i see the dirity freaks stay out of jail to crackon livin like they do, it makes me go rite back to wen i was 8, and makes me feel sick peeps proper sick, ;@[, where is the justice ?, all the poor kids in the pics ect . i wud put every thing i own down and say,HE WILL DO IT AGAIN,,erm im srry for goin into one peeps,, but its truly how i feel;;sick, i am a broken lady aged 47,caus of dirty freaks like him,,phew,”
by Mark2Plym
Monday, October 22 2012, 11:55PM
“He left the Navy when charged to keep his pension!”
by SuperGill
Monday, October 22 2012, 12:03PM
“It makes me sick to the stomache to think these freaks, I can't even refer to them as people, are a part of our society. A very sad fact. They appear like any one of us on the outside and are able to lead perfectly normal lives and get perfectly normal jobs. This has nothing to do with him being in the Royal Navy. The sad truth is, these freaks have integrated themselves into many different respectable jobs and go unnoticed. If they are willing to experiment on children for their own sexual gratification, we as society should be able to experiment on them. Why not make use of them in medical testing instead of innocent animals? Human rights are for "HUMANS" not monsters. Monsters like him didn't consider the human rights of the innocent and vulnerable children they were abusing. Completely sick.”
by Bwiththeollox
Monday, October 22 2012, 11:33AM
“He was born in, and still lives in Plymouth so I hope he gets a good shoe-in very soon.
He was also on Facebook till recently so from 2010 when these images were found, he still went about his business like nowt was wrong,
let's hope we read about him on here soon getting a pasting, I bet he is still out and about as used to work some of the door's in the city also, and act like the man about town.”
by jaynenothappy
Sunday, October 21 2012, 5:47PM
“makes my blood OVER BOIL; how the flip did it stay outaprison aaaa; He will do it again the DIRTY BLEEP,,arrrrr”
by marc1964
Sunday, October 21 2012, 4:03PM
“These people are in all walks of life its not a forces problem but a socioty one. If the story was Fish monger had indecent pictures would some of you be jumping on the same band wagon. I think not. Find them , prosecute them and punish them NO MATER WHERE THEY WORK”
by cooperman23
Sunday, October 21 2012, 3:08PM
“@tony248 you dont know what you are talking about classing a ***** the same as a gay guy ! and i think it totally out of order to say gays have their brains wired up wrongly. you are obviously homophobic !”
by Vinnie_Gar
Sunday, October 21 2012, 1:51PM
“sidewinder
And what do you base that comment on?
Tabloid tat like the Herald?”
by Bwiththeollox
Sunday, October 21 2012, 9:20AM
“Wen't to school with this *****! Makes me sick to think of this.”
by GreenGOM
Saturday, October 20 2012, 8:21PM
“"Disgusting perverted weirdo. How many more are lurking behind the mollycoddled protection of the services? Before you all start, I am an ex serviceman of 24 years but am not blind to it's institutional problems."”