A comedian from Derbyshire has been sentenced for making and possessing thousands of child sexual abuse images.

Tom Binns, 53, was identified by National Crime Agency investigators after the indecent images of children (IIOC) were uploaded to a Google account in his name.

Binns was arrested by NCA officers at his Chesterfield home in November 2020. Three of his devices were seized, which forensic examination showed contained more than 9,000 images in categories A-C (A being the most severe).

Binns had asked a family friend to sell several other devices on eBay, three of which contained more than 25,000 additional abuse images.

When interviewed, Binns denied viewing IIOC online but said he had watched adult pornography.

He claimed these files must have contained the IIOC without his knowledge. However, examination of his devices showed they had been downloaded across a nine-month period in 2020.

He later admitted five counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing them, at Derby Crown court on 21 November last year.

He was sentenced at the same court today (17 August) to 10 months in prison, suspended for 15 months. He is also subject to a 10-year sexual harm production order and has been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

NCA Operations Manager Holly Triggs said: “Tom Binns deliberately collected a huge number of indecent images of children. Behind each one is an abused child who has had their wellbeing, innocence and privacy violated.

“Demand for images is a major driver of child sexual abuse globally, so we at the NCA are unrelenting in our commitment to protecting children from sexual abuse and bringing serious offenders to justice.”

17 August 2023