Paedophile Liam Dunn of Dibden Purlieu spared jail term at Southampton Crown Court sentencing

A PAEDOPHILE was spared jail by a judge despite his “awful and wicked” behaviour but was warned there would be “no second chances”.

Liam Dunn (39), of Dukes Wood Drive, Dibden Purlieu, had searched for indecent images of children from 2019 to 2022 using the terms “jailbait” and “teens”.

Southampton Crown Court heard that police received intelligence he was part of a chat forum with other paedophiles, and they raided his home and seized an iPhone and iPad.

On the iPhone they found 39 indecent images of children including some at category A – the most serious. They also found 186 indecent videos of children, some aged between two and four.

Extreme pornography involving adults and animals was also found.

Prosecutor Roderick Blain said although Dunn had asked chat forum members about collecting indecent images, there was no evidence he had been actively involved in distributing any.

But the defendant had kept some of the pictures and videos in a “hidden” folder on his mobile phone.

Defending, barrister Sailesh Mehta said his client had never been in trouble before and had told a counsellor since being arrested, “I am disgusted with myself”.

Dunn, whose mother and wife sat in the public gallery, had pleaded guilty to all charges.

The barrister revealed that after the defendant’s arrest his wife had left him, taking their child with her. But the separation from his father had affected the child so badly she had returned and was now “supporting him”.

He said: “There is every reason to believe in his rehabilitation. His wife has also put her name down for counselling to assist herself and him.”

Dunn, the barrister added, had worked since leaving school to support his widowed mother and the rest of his family.

Mr Mehta said the defendant realised the “gravity and magnitude” of what he had done and the “hurt and harm he has caused to the whole of his family”.

Sentencing, Judge Christopher Parker KC told Dunn he faced jail for possessing the indecent images, some of which showed children being raped.

He added that some of the indecent images had involved infants “at a time when you had an infant of your own”.

The judge also pointed out that Dunn’s “horrendous” offences had gone on for two years, and only came to an end “not because of you, but by the intervention of the police”.

But he added: “I am just about persuaded that there is a strong prospect of rehabilitation.”

Dunn was sentenced to 10 months in prison for possessing eight still and 56 videos of category A indecent images of children.

For possessing 16 still and 90 videos of category B images he was given another four months, and for having 15 still and 40 videos of category C images he received another three months.

For possessing extreme pornography he was sentenced to two months. All jail terms were suspended for 18 months and are to be served concurrently.

Dunn was also ordered to complete 130 hours of unpaid work and 35 hours of a rehabilitation activity.

He was given a sexual harm prevention order for five years and also a notification of address requirement for 10 years.

The judge told him that if he offended during the suspension, he would be sent to jail, adding: “There will be no second chances at all.”