A BACKGROUND psychological report is to be prepared about a young west Cumbrian man who has admitted downloading hundreds of child abuse images.

A Carlisle Crown Court judge warned 21-year-old Thomas Taylor, whose defence barrister said there is a belief he is suffering from autism, that he could be jailed for his offending. 

In court, the defendant, from High Brigham, near Cockermouth, admitted five images related offences. They were:

  • Downloading 401 indecent child images classed as Category A, the most serious kind of such images.
  • Downloading 161 Category B child abuse images.
  • Downloading 36 Category C child abuse images.
  • Possessing 151 extreme pornographic images, which include bestiality.
  • And possessing 22 prohibited images of children.

Defence barrister Kim Whittlestone told the court: “This is a young man of previous good character.

"We are seeking to instruct a psychologist in this case. It’s believed that this young man suffers from autism. I am told that reports are on their way.”

Recorder Eric Lamb told the defendant his name must now appear on the country's Sex Offender Register. The judge ruled that sentencing could be adjourned for eight weeks to allow for the necessary background and psychological reports to be prepared.

 “You have pleaded guilty to five serious offences in this indictment," the Recorder told Taylor.

"Before passing sentence in your case, bearing in mind that you are a young man of 21 and have no previous convictions, the court requires further information in the form of a pre-sentence report.

“In addition, I am told that your legal team are seeking a report from a psychologist against a possible diagnosis of autism.

"By adjourning for a pre-sentence report, I am giving no indication of what the sentence will be; all sentencing options, including custody, remain available on the next occasion."

The Recorder set the sentencing date as November 17.

Until that day, said the judge, the defendant could have bail with certain conditions. These include Taylor having no unsupervised contact with any child – unless it is inadvertent.

How long the defendant's name will be on the Sex Offender Register will be determined by the nature and length of the sentence he ultimately receives, added the judge.