A local newspaper publisher who downloaded more than 70,000 indecent images of children from the Internet has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Kevin Skaith, who publishes the independent Lincoln-based newspaper the Lincolnshire Gazette, had earlier admitted 24 charges of possessing or making indecent photographs.

Skaith, (38), of Thonock Close, Lincoln, stored 70,602 “disgusting” images involving children. Of those, 1,244 were hard-core images categorised as the most serious kind of images under the law involving the sexual abuse of children.

Sitting at Lincoln Crown Court, Judge Michael Heath told him: “If there were not perverts like you, those wicked persons who make these images and subject children to the terrible abuse that they go through in the making of those images, there would be no market for them.

“Perverts like you pay to watch and gain sexual satisfaction from these shocking and distressing images.”

His collection was uncovered by police working on Operation Ore – the British arm of a worldwide police investigation into the spread of paedophile pornography on the Internet – who raided Skaith’s home on September 23, 2002, the court heard.

They seized images contained on his computer and after Skaith was interviewed he later surrendered further images to the police.

Skaith at a previous hearing
(Pic: Lincolnshire Echo)

While Skaith was on bail, police working on another investigation, Operation Sirdar, raided his home on June 10, 2004.

This time 47,502 indecent images were seized, including 543 within the two most serious two categories under the Protection of Children Act 1978.

When later interviewed by a psychiatrist, Skaith said he “had been trying to access legal sites” since his earlier arrest in September 2002.

Kate Tompkins, prosecuting, said: “In interview he admitted possession of indecent photographs of children. He stated that ‘it’s a problem he has had for a while and he just cannot help himself’.”

Michael Cranmer-Brown, defending, said his client’s possession of the “disgusting” images was part of Skaith’s “inability to lead a normal life”.

“He is a loner. He lives an extremely isolated life. He is almost agoraphobic,” he told the court.

Sentencing, Judge Heath said he was concerned over Skaith’s re-offending while on bail and his attempts to defend his actions when interviewed by a psychiatrist.

Skaith woulld serve half his sentence in prison and the other half in the community on licence. The period of his licence was extended by an additional three years, meaning he will spend 78 months on licence. Skaith was also banned from working with children for life and ordered to register as a sex offender on his release from prison.