Guilty plea over indecent pics found on tablet

Steven Murphy was apprehended after detectives were alerted by a unit at Lancashire Police headquarters that he had been uploading the photographs from an internet site.

Murphy, a 55-year-old former labourer, of Clayton Crescent, South Shore, pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent pictures of children, some at the highest level of depravity, and one offence of possessing indecent pictures of children between December 2014 and January last year.

Jim Mowbray, prosecuting, said detectives went with a warrant to search Murphy’s home following a tip-off on January 9 last year. They seized two phones and a tablet computer.

The prosecutor said: “When interviewed Murphy fully admitted having indecent pictures of children on his tablet. At that stage he said they were for research purposes and he was going to hand them to the police.”

John McLaren, defending, said Murphy had previously had hobbies such as mountain climbing and running and had had no interest in pornography. But in 2007 Murphy suffered a severe stroke and had not been fit to work since,

Mr McLaren added: “He was particularly lonely over Christmas. He decided to go on a site which was said to be adult pornography. He was stupid and careless .”

Probation officer Brian Weatherington, said when interviewed, Murphy said he had not got any sexual gratification from the images.

Murphy was bailed to appear for sentence at Preston Crown Court on April 13 by Blackpool magistrates.

He must not have unsupervised contact with children under 16, except for inadvertent or fleeting, and must make the internet history of any device he has available to police on request, as conditions of his bail.