'Lonely' Portsmouth paedophile in denial after being caught with sick child abuse pictures

Cosham paedophile Gareth Warnock, 47, was busted by police with around 650 indecent images of vulnerable children found on devices at his home address on November 18, 2019.

Despite being ‘unforthcoming’ when telling officers he did not have any indecent pictures, Portsmouth Crown Court heard how Warnock’s lies were exposed after he was found with 148 Category A images, 126 Category B and 369 Category C.

Most of the images were of children aged between five and eight years of age, the court was told.

Warnock, of Havant Road, still continued to deny the offences until changing his mind on the day his trial was due to start.

He admitted three charges of making indecent photos of children.

The pervert was given a caution in 2008 for a similar offence.

Colin McCarraher, defending, said of single man Warnock: ‘He’s a lonely fella who has suffered with depression and general illness.

‘He is a man who took some time to come to terms with what he has done. His (guilty) pleas shows he accepts what he has done is wrong and he knows it has to stop.’

The barrister, arguing for a suspended sentence, said the defendant was ‘fit for treatment’.

He added: ‘He’s clearly a man with some difficulties who is struggling to accept what he has done.’

Recorder Gordon Bebb QC said the offence had ‘crossed the custody threshold’ before highlighting Warnock’s previous foray into child abuse pictures. ‘It is not the first time you have been involved with the court for this sort of offence,’ he said.

‘The age of the children - between five and eight - makes them vulnerable.

‘You are more in denial than anything else.’

Warnock was given a reprieve from jail and was instead handed a 21-month jail term suspended for two years.

He has to complete the Horizon sex offenders programme, complete 30 rehabilitation days and was given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

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He will also have to pay a surcharge while an order was made to destroy the devices the images were found on.