A FORMER primary school governor has been spared jail after he was caught with hundreds of indecent computer images of children and young girls.
Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Monday how Bernard Connarty, 56, of Treeneuk Close, at Ashgate, Chesterfield, was targeted by police after images on a Luxembourg internet server provider were tracked to UK addresses including Connarty’s home.
Prosecuting solicitor John McCann said: “This resulted in a search at the defendant’s home and a number of computers and devices were seized.”
Mr McCann explained an analysis of a tower computer recovered 1,946 indecent images of scantily-clad children aged about seven to 14 modelling in sexually suggestive, erotic, non-nude poses. The court heard how police also discovered two movie files with 14 indecent images, discs with 726 indecent photos, further discs with 37 indecent images and another 258 indecent images were found in files on a hard drive.
Connarty pleaded guilty to six charges of making indecent photos of children between August 2006 and January 2012.
Defence solicitor Bob Bashforth said Connarty, who is of previous good character, is remorseful and claims he thought the images were pretty girls and he had no sexual interest and did not know they were illegal. District Judge Andrew Davison registered Connarty under a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and sentenced him to an 18 month community order with supervision and treatment. Connarty was ordered to pay legal costs.