Thomas Armstrong – Leeds, West Yorkshire
2024 – Leeds Paedophile Avoids Jail After 15 Years of Downloading Child Abuse Videos
Thomas Armstrong, 35, a mechanic from Otley, Leeds, has avoided an immediate jail sentence despite being found with over 1,400 indecent images and videos of children, some of the most extreme kind.
Leeds Crown Court heard that Armstrong used a Dropbox account under the username “Ben Dover” to store the illegal material. The account was traced to his home IP address and uncovered the following:
- 635 Category A files – the most severe abuse
- 206 Category B files
- 607 Category C files
- 1 extreme pornographic image involving an animal
The material was downloaded between 2007 and 2022, with spikes in activity in 2018 and again shortly before his arrest. Armstrong refused to comment in police interviews but insisted his wife had no knowledge of his crimes.
He admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography.
Mitigation: Defence barrister Jessica Randall said Armstrong had shown remorse, was undergoing therapy, and had no prior convictions. She argued that prison would expose him to more hardened offenders and reduce his chances of rehabilitation.
Sentencing: Judge Tahir Khan KC said the content was “horrendous” but opted not to send Armstrong to prison. He was sentenced to:
- 20 months in prison (suspended for 2 years)
- 35 rehabilitation activity requirement (RAR) days
- 200 hours of unpaid work
- 10 years on the Sex Offenders Register
- 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) restricting internet use