A youngster who was caught with horrible abuse photos of “very young children” avoided jail time, despite the court telling him he should have been punished with a more serious felony.
Mehran Mowlude, 19, avoided a harsher term for spreading the photographs as it was “suspected” that he had forwarded them to other perverts, according to Leeds Crown Court.
Following a tip-off, police went to his home on Airedale Court in Seacroft in April of last year and seized his internet-connected devices.
Following a forensic study, they discovered 112 photographs, including 54 pictures and videos classified as Category A – the most heinous, which includes child rape. They also discovered 19 Category B, 37 Category C, and two illegal photos of children.
The court heard that he had been using Telegram, an encrypted software. He later guilty to three counts of creating indecent photos, three of possessing indecent images, and one of possessing forbidden images.
Mark Foley, his counsel, gave no mitigation in court when Judge Tom Bayliss KC stated that he had reviewed Mowlude’s probation report and highlighted concerns about picture distribution. Judge Bayliss said he remained “sceptical” and that his guilty pleas were the only thing that “saved him from an immediate custodial sentence”.
He told Mowlude, “This was disgraceful behaviour.” You clearly have a sexual interest in kids. There were photographs of young youngsters. There is a suspicion that you distributed these, but you were just charged with creating indecent photos.”
He issued him a two-year community order with 30 rehabilitation days. He was placed on the sex offender registry for five years and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order that restricted his internet use.