St Annes pervert used eBay to buy sick images from Japan

Elliot Slack told police he bought the items – some featuring children as young as five or six in underwear – on eBay from sellers in China and Japan, paying via Paypal.

Slack, 33, of Collingwood Avenue, St Annes, had already been given a caution for possessing similar items, but continued collecting them, Preston’s Sessions House Court heard.

When police attended his home, one pillow case was found on his bed. Slack insisted he has no sexual interest in children, and told police he simply bought them because ‘they were cute’.

He admitted possessing six category B images –the second worst classification – as well as 1,057 category C images and nine prohibited images, pictures that depict children.

Wearing a Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles T-shirt, he sat silently in the dock as the proceedings took place.

Prosecuting, Mercedah Jabbari said: “PC Pickles and his team attended his home address in St Annes at 9.30am on November 25.

“They attended as a result of information they had been there had been purchase of indecent material online.

“A substantial quantity of material was recovered. The material included nine pillow cases depicting indecent pseudo images of children, assorted DVDs, books and tubs of photos containing indecent images of children, and posters. Children’s underwear was also found in the premises.

“All the material was seized and taken to the police station and the defendant’s laptop was seized. No indecent images were found

“This is not a standard case. The indecent material was contained within books and magazines that were examined and they appeared to have been purchased from Japanese websites.

“They depicted children in various poses wearing provocative attire not appropriate for children in the ages in the photographs.

“He admitted he had used a computer to obtain this material.”

The court was told he was ‘candid’ in interview, explaining he had even used his Paypal account.

He told officers he had bought the cushion covers so he had ‘something to hold on to’, and said he didn’t interact with many people beyond his family.

Asked about the photos, he said he got some from America and in his view they were ‘normal everyday pictures of girls’ who he thought were ‘pretty’.

Defending, David Traynor said he had a number of health problems and did not leave the house without his mother.

Recorder Nicholas Clarke imposed a 12-month jail term suspended for 18 months with a rehabilitation activity and sexual harm prevention order.

He added: “The age and vulnerability of some of the children is an aggravating feature.”

Slack must sign the Sex Offender’s Register for 10 years.