Hucknall teenager who downloaded dozens of 'anime' cartoon child porn images given suspended prison sentence

Police visited Ben Burton's home address and seized his mobile phone on November 28, 2020, said prosecutor Anthony Chung.

It contained 25 Category A images, 15 Category B images, and 48 Category C images of female characters, that were deemed to be aged between five and 14.

When he was interviewed, Burton said he received the images via Facebook messenger.

Shannon English, mitigating, said he has no previous convictions and entered his guilty plea at the earliest opportunity. She said he was 17 at the time and "lacked maturity."

Burton, now 19, of Lilac Road, Hucknall, admitted possessing the prohibited images, when he appeared at Nottingham Magistrates Court, on January 6.

Recorder Michael Auty said: "What troubles me is his disinclination to accept that he had any sexual interest in the imagery. Frankly, I don't believe him."

He told Burton: "There is understandable public concern about any offences concerning the possession of indecent images of children.

"This case is unusual as the pictures weren't of real children.

"Whether these children were real or represented in anime, or any other artistic form, the protection of children is regarded as of paramount importance in a civilised society.”

On Thursday the judge imposed a nine month prison sentence, suspended for two years, with up to 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

A sexual harm prevention order was made for five years, and the telephone, and the imagery, were destroyed.