A paedophile who deleted his internet search history and had illicit images of children claimed he did so to “abstain from pornography”.
James Ashman, 45, of Norwich Street in Fakenham, appeared at Lynn Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, where he was sentenced for breaching a sexual harm prevention order and possessing indecent images of children.
He has avoided going to jail and was instead handed a suspended sentence.
Ashman was first convicted of making indecent images of children back in September 2022, when he was handed a sexual harm prevention order lasting until October 2027.
However, during a police visit to Ashman’s home on March 12 last year, officers discovered that the internet search history had been deleted from a Samsung tablet. The order had prohibited him from doing this.
Officers’ search also found that Ashman had dismantled a computer, which was also a breach of the prevention order.
Ashman said he did this because he “no longer uses” the computer.
Further investigations revealed that he had 14 Category C cartoon images of children on another device.
Ashman denied having these photos at the time, but they appeared in his internet search history.
In mitigation, Ashman’s solicitor said he dismantled the computer as he was “abstaining” from watching pornography.
“He has always accepted his wrongdoing,” the solicitor said.
“These events occurred a long time ago now. He said that he was abstaining from watching all kinds of pornography and deleted everything.
“He has been abstinent from pornography for some time now. Any viewing of it comes as a risk to a man in his position anyway.
“He is now in work and has joined a modelling club with other men.”
Ashman was handed nine months in custody, suspended for 12 months.
He was ordered to carry out 40 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation activity days.
He will also pay a £187 victim surcharge and £85 in court costs.
