A MAN who accessed indecent images of children on a "notorious" Russian website has avoided jail. 

Bradford Crown Court heard Ashley Demaline accessed the website more than 100,000 times over five-and-a-half years. 

Addressing him at Bradford Crown Court, Mr Recorder Gurdial Singh said he needed help with his “underlying thought processes”, which would not be served by the imposition of a short prison sentence.

But he warned Demaline to comply with a support programme “or as night follows day you are going to go to prison.”

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Bradford Crown Court Bradford Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Prosecutor Lydia Pearce told the court that Demaline was arrested on April 18 last year on suspicion of making indecent images.

When confronted by police Demaline said: “It’s me. No point looking at the devices.”

Three mobile phones were found to contain more than 1,500 photographs and videos ranging from Category A – the most severe – to Category C. The children in the images were as young as five.

Demaline, 40, of Regent Road, Skipton, had accessed the site between September 3, 2017, and April 17, 2023.

Sentencing him, Recorder Singh said Demaline’s attitude to his offending, and his denials about receiving sexual gratification, were “idiotic and ludicrous”.

He said: “Your denials are hollow. This is criminal behaviour of a sexual nature: looking at young children for sexual gratification.

“These are not victimless crimes. That marketplace results in children being abused for your sexual gratification.

“Your ambivalence and your ludicrous attitude to what you were doing is very troubling.”

However, he opted to step back from imposing a custodial sentence as it would only be relatively short “and you would not be addressing the underlying reasons for your offending".

He said he was persuaded in large part not to jail Demaline due to an “incredible” reference from his wife, who was standing by him.

Instead, he imposed a two-year community order, which involves Demaline engaging with the Probation Service to “challenge his underlying thought processes” via the Path to Change programme over 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Demaline was also made subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order, and ordered to pay costs of £150.

He is already on the sex offenders’ register.

Recorder Singh ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the mobile phones.