Marks Tey 46-year-old sentenced for having 504 indecent images

Christopher Kelley was sentenced in Chelmsford Crown Court on Friday for possession of 114 Category A images, 140 Category B images, and 250 Category C images.

But his excuse was that “he was motivated by searching for a predator who had abused his partner”, according to defence counsel Daniel O’Malley.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard how police executed a search warrant on Kelley’s home address in Chappel Road, Great Tey, in November 2022.

Support - defence barrister Daniel O'Malley said the defendant had sought help after committing the offence (Image: Daniel Rees, Newsquest)

Peter Gair, prosecuting, told the court how an expert analysed the devices seized from his home and found he had been “regularly searching for indecent images of children” using search terms like “Lolita” and “pre-teen”.

Kelley also had the Tor software installed on his laptop so he could access the dark web “to obtain images not readily available on search engines,” Mr Gair said.

He continued: “He made full admissions of searching for this material; his explanation is somewhat unusual and a report on the offences rather suspects it may not be true.”

Mr O’Malley said Kelley, 46, had sought help in relation to his offending “because he knew he needed it”.

Addressing Kelley’s justification that he was searching for an abuser, he said: “This was an unusual but to him a logical method of making enquiries.

“Once he looked at images, he discarded them – these are not images he has looked at again for gratification purposes.

“He was profoundly impacted by the death of his mentor and business partner to whom he was an apprentice, and he provided support to that man’s widow.”

Recorder Matthew McDonagh told Kelley he had given “a convoluted history” as to why the images were on his computer.

Sentence – Christopher Kelley must carry out 220 hours of unpaid work as part of his sentence (Image: Unsplash)

He continued: “There are medical reports showing the vulnerabilities you have – I take that into account.

“These are serious offences; the courts must protect those most vulnerable.

“That possession and desire to possess those images causes the abuse of those children depicted in those images.”

Kelley will serve a six-month sentence suspended for two years, and must complete 40 hours of rehabilitation requirements along with 220 hours of unpaid work.