A 47-year-old man has been jailed for a year after police found more than 300 indecent images of children on his computer.
Guy Gibson, of Meadway, Twickenham, admitted 13 counts of making indecent photographs of children, and an additional charge of making 323 indecent photographs, at Kingston Crown Court.
He was arrested after a friend of his daughter’s bought the computer last July and discovered the images as she tried to send an email.
Mum-of-two Kerry Bridges, 23, from Twickenham, said: “I only discovered the pictures when I went to type in 'Hotmail' and hit the ‘C’ button instead.
“The computer’s memory came up with a web address for child modelling. I didn’t think anything of it - I actually thought how sweet as I have a daughter and I went on it.
“I’ve been taking anti-depressents because I can’t sleep because of the images I saw."
She contacted police who within hours seized the computer and took it to be examined.
Nine indecent movie clips were also found on the computer along with the images. Gibson was arrested on February 11.
Gibson was jailed and banned from owning a computer. He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years.
Miss Bridges and Gibson’s daughter are planning to launch a petition calling for Gibson to serve the full 12 months and to be kept on the sex offenders register for life.
She said: “He should have got life. It’s that serious that he should be on the register for life.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here