A Peel man has been sentenced to eight months in jail for having indecent photos of children on his phone and computer.

Images were found on Joshua James Tweedy’s computer of children aged 11 and 12 and adults engaging in sexual acts.

One image featured a dog.

Tweedy, aged 23, of Bluebell Close, admitted 10 counts of making or possessing indecent images of children. Each time an indecent image is downloaded it is classed as making an image.

Tweedy downloaded and shared photos from websites notorious for exploiting children.

However, he has spent the equivalent of an eight month sentence on remand so will be released almost immediately.

Deemster Alastair Montgomerie told Tweedy: ’These images only come into existence if real children have been abused.

’They are the ones paying the price for the cravings of those who view such images. They are powerless to remove them. They suffer endless suffering and misery as a result.’

Earlier, prosecutor Rachael Braidwood told the Court of General Gaol Delivery how Manx police received intelligence from Child and Exploitation Protection (CEOP), part of the National Crime Agency in the UK, regarding indecent images of children being shared online.

Tweedy used Dropbox, a file sharing and storage site, to store photos and shared them using the website Kick.

He was identified and police arrested him at his home on March 14. His computer and phone were found to contain 725 indecent images of children downloaded between December 23, 2017 and March 16, 2019.

Three images were rated at five on the Copine Scale, used to measure the severity of images from one to five, with five being the most severe. A total of 104 images were assessed at level four, 16 at level three, 37 at level two, and 565 at level one.

When interviewed, Tweedy told police he had viewed legal pornography at first but had then clicked on ’pop-ups’ which he knew would take him to illegal images. He said he had done it out of curiosity but admitted he had felt aroused by the images of children. Tweedy spoke with other people using Kick about fantasies and shared indecent images of children.

Shame

He also allowed users access to his Dropbox account where he had stored images.

Advocate Ian Kermode said: ’Mr Tweedy accepts he viewed the images and did actively search for them. He is quite frank that he was aroused. He’s unable to explain that. He did not alter any of the images and he is not charged with distribution. Dropbox allows access but not an active form of distribution. Of the 725 images 565 were at the lowest level.

’He also provided pass codes and pin numbers to police for his devices.’

Tweedy wrote a letter to the Deemster expressing his ’shame’ and ’disappointment’ in himself and added he would be grateful for the opportunity to get help and reform.

A probation report said Tweedy’s mental health history was ’extremely worrying’ and that he had been using illegal substances and alcohol.

Tweedy was also put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years and was made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) until further order.

A treatment plan is being prepared for Tweedy.

Deemster Montgomerie told Tweedy: ’You have got your whole life ahead of you.

’I would urge you to grab the treatment plan with both hands and that way you will have a future.’