Ipswich man found with indecent child images given suspended sentence

Police officers went to Noel Vermillion’s home in June 2020 after receiving information that his IP address had been used to upload an indecent image of a child to the internet, Ipswich Crown Court was told.

When Vermillion was told why the officers had come to his home he said he’d been viewing indecent images for several years and didn’t know where to get help.

He said the officers needed to take his tablet computer, mobile phone, and Xbox.

And when the devices were analysed they were found to contain 42 still indecent images of children and 25 videos in the most serious level A category, 55 still images and 11 videos in category B, and 80 still images and two videos in the least serious level C category.

There were also 23 still prohibited images of children and eight videos and seven extreme pornographic videos on the equipment.

Daniel Setter, prosecuting, said that some of the children in the images and videos were as young as two.

Vermilion told police he knew viewing the material was wrong, but said he couldn’t help himself.

He also said he didn’t find children attractive and didn’t seek out their company.

Vermilion, of Foundation Street, Ipswich admitted three offences of making indecent images and videos of children, possessing prohibited images and videos of children and possessing extreme pornographic videos.

He was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for 24 months and a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also ordered to attend a sex offenders treatment programme and to do 180 hours of unpaid work.

Vermillion was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Peter Spary, for Vermillion, said his client hadn’t reoffended in the last two years and was currently on benefits.

He said he was keen to receive support from the probation service as part of a suspended sentence order.