Newport dad whose child died found with 2,000 indecent images of children after tip-off to police

Daniel Rogers, aged 33, of Maesglas Avenue, Newport, had resumed downloading such images after the death of his child, Newport Crown Court was told.

Prosecuting counsel Gareth James said a Crimestoppers hotline tip-off led police to Rogers' door on January 28 this year, and he told them 'immediately' that he had indecent images of children on his computer.

Overall, police discovered 732 of the most serious category A images, 516 category B images, and 711 category C images.

Mr James said Rogers told police he had downloaded porn for years. An image of a child had came up and he had ignored it, but had developed a morbid fascination with such images. But he did not find small children attractive.

Rogers, previously of clean character, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to three counts of possessing indecent images of children, between June 24 2012 and January 8 this year.

Defending counsel Simon Goodman said Rogers had not realised there were so many indecent images of children on his computer equipment.

He said the tragedy of the death of Rogers' child had brought a restart of this offending, rather than a beginning, but asked the court to take account of the stress that he must have been under.

"It is a pity it has gone on, and the hope is that his arrest is a wake-up call to deal with this situation," said Mr Goodman.

Judge Philip Richards imposed a 12-month community order with a supervision requirement, and also ordered Rogers to complete a sex offender group work programme.

"This order is designed to assist you in putting this form of offending behind you," he told Rogers.

"I appreciate the tragic circumstances in which you resorted to this. People react sometimes in ways which are not the nicest, but I am confident that with the assistance of social services and probation service you will put these offences behind you."

Rogers must also pay £250 court costs and a £60 victim surcharge.