A TAXI DRIVER has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after he admitted downloading and distributing “some of the worst images” of child pornography possible.

James Hore

A TAXI DRIVER has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after he admitted downloading and distributing “some of the worst images” of child pornography possible.

Terrence William Knight from Maldon, downloaded thousands of photos and movies of child-abuse during a two-year period and distributed them to other paedophiles through internet chat rooms.

At Chelmsford Crown Court yesterday it emerged the 49-year-old also had a life-size “dummy child” in his home which he had used for sexual gratification.

Knight sat bowed with his head in his hands as details of the case were read out.

Mark Lakin, prosecuting, said Knight's internet use came to the attention of the Metropolitan Police who notified their colleagues in Essex.

Knight's home was raided and two computers and a large number of disks were seized in July last year, , along with the dummy and child's clothing.

Officers stopped logging the images as they reached close to 6,000 even though there were many more still.

More than 3,500 photos were “level-one”, the least serious, through to 1,492 at level-four and 149 at level-five, the most severe possible along with nearly 100 movies at level-four and above.

Mr Lakin said Knight had written suicide notes in which he expressed his shame for what he had done.

During interview he initially made no comment, but when questioned a second time he spoke of his shame and remorse.

He said: “Knight gained sexual gratification from the images - he knew it was wrong to do that, but continued to do so.

“He stated throughout that he saw this as a sexual fantasy and had no intention of physically offending.”

Mr Lakin said the dummy was in child's clothing, wearing items left by youngsters in Knight's taxi and indicated the behaviour “went beyond simple viewing of the material”.

Knight had admitted 10 counts of possession of images, a further one of “group possession” and a final count of distribution when he appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court at an earlier hearing.

Ian Boyes, defending, said: “A picture paints a thousand words and unfortunately the material was of the worst that this court can see.”

He said Knight felt, “shame, shame and shame and nothing less than shame”, saying he would not be able to return to his home after serving his prison sentence and was now out of work.

Mr Boyes revealed that after police raided Knight's home he attempted to commit suicide and also planned to try again after his magistrates' court appearance.

Judge Anthony Gauldstaub QC said the downloaded images of children were “appalling scenes”, which he branded “unspeakable”.

However, he said there was no suggestion that Knight would go beyond the “fantasy world” he lived in to be a danger to children.

“I hope that the public will understand that this man has not been shown to have touched or attempted to touched any child directly.”

He sentenced Knight to two-and-a-half years on each count, to run concurrently.

Afterwards, Det. Con. Sam Hutchinson, from Essex Police's child investigation unit, said: “I am pleased that Knight has been locked up.

“In eight years of doing this type of work, these were the worst images I have seen - they were from babies, through to teenagers.”