A former teacher was caught with more than 26,000 grotesque child abuse images.
Andrew McLean's reputation is in tatters after he was caught with the huge haul of images, featuring children aged between one and 16.
When officers went to his home acting on intelligence about what he had been up to, he gave them three hard drives. On them were 72 of the most serious, category A images, 223 category B and 25,778 category C pictures and videos. He had downloaded them between 2014 and 2021.
Read next: Newcastle thugs who laughed after kicking and punching pub doorman on ground walk free
Newcastle Crown Court heard McLean had catalogued them in alphabetical order and had put them on a Powerpoint file to enable him to scroll through them more quickly.
The 67-year-old, formerly of Sunderland but who has now moved to Carlisle, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images. He was sentenced to eight months suspended for two years with a £500 fine and £445 costs. He must also sign the sex offenders register and will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Judge Julie Clemitson told him: "No one who commits this sort of offence should be under any illusions. Each and every image depicts a real child who's being abused, causing untold harm to that child.
"The harm caused to children by abuse is exacerbated if they know the image of that abuse is cast around the globe for goodness knows how many thousands of millions of people to view and will be there for the rest of their lives."
The court heard he wrote a "letter of self-loathing" to the court and is remorseful. Mark Harrison, defending, said he had made full admissions to police. He added that McClean said to officers and the courts during earlier hearings that he was guilty and didn't deserve legal representation.
Mr Harrison told the court: "He has ruined his relationship with many family members, spoiled his good name in the local community, ruined his professional legacy, lost his home and relocated out of the area to prevent reprisals. He has deliberately moved to sheltered accommodation-type accommodation to remove himself from the usual make-up of a more diverse community.
"He understands there are no excuses for the selfish behaviour of him downloading these grotesque images." The court heard he used to work in the insurance business but became a teacher in 2000.
Read more:
- Illegal immigrants jailed after Tyneside's biggest ever cannabis farm worth £1.65m found in Fenham
- Prudhoe OAP pushed to death helping friend left in 'living hell' by neighbour's kittens complaints
- Newcastle knifeman who threatened to kill family's dog and schoolboy's parents walks free
- 'Powerful' North Shields thug killed 'puny' victim with single punch when bad blood ended in tragedy
- 'Inhuman': North Shields couple jailed for a total of 50 years for trying to murder friend
