Dursley father of 15 caught with child porn images spared jail (From Gazette Series)

Dursley father of 15, Stephen Cosworth, caught with child porn images spared jail at Gloucester Crown Court

12:20pm Friday 15th March 2013 in News

A FATHER of 15 from Dursley who was caught with hundreds of child porn images has walked free from court.

Heavily tattooed Stephen Cosworth, 40, turned up at Gloucester Crown Court with two heavy suitcases expecting a prison term.

But instead Cosworth - described as a loner who never sees any of his 15 children - was put on a three-year sex offender programme.

Shaven-headed Cosworth, of Rangers Avenue, has tattooed on the right side of his head the words 'God and the Devil fear me.' On the back of his head is the saying 'United we stand, divided we fall.'

He pleaded guilty to 13 charges of possessing indecent images - one of them described as 'extreme pornography' involving bestiality.

Many of the images were cartoons or computer-generated and 43 were of children, the court was told.

Prosecutor Julian Kesner told the court that on July 7 last year police stopped Cosworth and seized his phone in connection with an unrelated investigation. On it they found 'inappropriate images' which led to them searching his home.

Mr Kesner told the court that there were more than 500 images in Cosworth's possession including 166 at level four and four in the worst level five category.

However, Mr Kesner said, many of the images were cartoons or a computer generated 'mish mash' of pictures which included parts of real people.

Cosworth had a long criminal record but it did not involve sex offences, Mr Kesner said.

Judge Jamie Tabor QC observed: "He is a father of 15 children - none of whom he sees. He describes himself as a loner but he has 15 children, presumably by a series of different ladies. The State is no doubt paying to support them."

Joe Maloney, defending, said there was no suggestion he had been distributing images to others.

"He is not part of any paedophile ring. He is a very bright man - very articulate," he said.

"He is also hard working when he gets the opportunity. He has a positive work ethic."

From the dock Cosworth told the court that he recognised he had a problem which he needed to address.

Judge Tabor said a prison term was merited but he had decided in view of the cartoon nature of most of the images that he would place him on a three year community order with a condition to attend a sex offender programme.

He also ordered him to sign the sex offender register for the next five years.