Hove man sentenced for viewing child porn

A 59-year-old paedophile from Hove has been spared prison after being convicted of keeping a stash of child porn.

Stephen McGarry, of Sherbourne Close, Hangleton, was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years, when he appeared at Lewes Crown Court.

He had 50 indecent images of children, including four described as “level 5” pictures, the most serious level.

McGarry was also required to register as a sex offender for 10 years and was served with a 10-year sexual offence prevention order.

The order is intended to restrict his access to children, computers and photographic and recording equipment.

The charges followed an investigation by the Sussex Police Paeodophile On-Line Investigation Team (POLIT).

Detective Constable Helen Curtis said: “Although there was no evidence that any of the images related to local children, or that any local children were at risk, every such image is by definition an offence against a child and we always aim to follow up information of this type of offending.”

At court was told on Thursday (28 February) that McGarry had previously been convicted between 1970 and 1995 of eight indecent assault and gross indecency offences against boys aged under 16.