A Bath man who had hundreds of indecent images of children and was also in possession of animal porn sobbed in the dock after hearing that city magistrates were suspending a 12-month jail sentence.
Anthony Phippen, of Pennsylvania View, Lansdown, had admitted making 302 indecent images of children rated as category A – the most serious – as well as 158 images in category B and 83 in category C.
He also admitted being in possession of 19 extreme pornographic images involving a dog.
All the offences took place between January 2022 and the start of August 2023 at his Lansdown home.
Phippen had been granted unconditional bail after his first appearance in court on 20th August this year, when magistrates had ordered a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until 1st October.
At his sentencing last Wednesday, the court heard that Phippen had used a Kik account to access the images. An internet child abuse officer had attended his home on 1st August 2023 and Phippen had been arrested the same day.
Solicitor Ned Kemp, representing Phippen, clarified to the court that making images is akin to being in possession of them.
He said the first incidents dated back almost four years and since the investigation, there had been a “drastic impact” on Phippen’s mental health. He had demonstrated “remorse and shame”, accepted his responsibility and had been engaging constructively with the Probation Service.
Although the custody threshold had undoubtedly been passed, Mr Kemp asked the magistrates to suspend any sentence and impose “robust rehabilitation requirements”.
The court heard that Phippen has been assessed as being at low risk of further offending.
The 42-year-old had his head bowed for most of the hearing. When magistrates said they would be suspending a 12-month jail sentence for two years, Phippen covered his face with his hands and sobbed.
He was placed under a 12-week curfew with electronic monitoring from 7pm to 7am.
Magistrates imposed a 12-month mental health treatment requirement with up to 18 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days.
Phippen will also be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for five years and will be on the Sex Offender Register for 10 years.
He must pay a surcharge of £187 and prosecution costs of £85.
Magistrates also ordered that his Samsung phone and SD card that were seized will not be returned to him.
