Shropshire army veteran sentenced over child sex photos and videos

Jack Frost, of Meadow End in Shipton, Much Wenlock, was sentenced at Shrewsbury Crown Court.

The 62-year-old was caught with pictures and videos on a laptop, computer tower and hard drive during a police raid at his home in June 2017.

The former military man was given a 24-month community order with 40 days of rehabilitation work.

Frost, who was previously known as Bryan and changed his name by deed poll 45 years ago, admitted two offences of making indecent images of children and six offences of possessing indecent images of children at Telford Magistrates Court earlier this year.

Caroline Harris, prosecuting, said Frost had developed an "extensive folder structure" on his computer.

She said the pictures and videos found were of children between nine and 17 years of age.

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"There were other videos of children being sexually abused by adult men," she said.

"He [Frost] said the images had been viewed over a time period of nine years."

The court heard despite having 33 photographs and 44 videos of the most serious kind as well as 1,420 other pictures on a number of devices, Frost maintains he has "no sexual interest in children".

The court heard Frost, who lives with his wife and currently receives an army pension, became a self-employed robotics engineer after he left the service and has one previous conviction of common assault dating back to 2002.

For Frost, Mr Andrew Holland, said: “The defendant was interviewed and he made admissions as soon as he could in June 2017.”

Judge Peter Barrie, sentencing, said: “You’ve had to wait two years to find out what is going to happen to you and I take that into account.

“I think what is in the most interest to the public and to children is that you follow help by probation and a sexual harm prevention order.”

Frost was issued a sexual harm prevention order for five years.