Sex offender had stash of vile DVDs

A SEX offender has appeared in court after police found a stash of vile pornographic images involving animals under his bedsheets.

Peter Barnett (39), of Chamber Road, Oldham, had already been placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register in November, 2009, when he was caught with indecent images of children.

Janet Berry, prosecuting, told Oldham magistrates how, as part of Barnett’s order, police officers had visited him at his home on October 4, 2010, asking if they could search his bedroom, which they did.

They seized eight DVDs containing sickening graphic images of dogs.

Barnett claimed he had bought a job lot of DVDs from a Chinese woman in a local pub.

He claimed he had viewed ones containing dogs but wasn’t aware of the offence.

This new offence put him in breach of the previous order — a 15-week custodial sentence, suspended for two years.

Mr Michael Hopkinson, defending, told the court how Barnett had not been back before the courts since 2008.

He said: “With the videos, he didn’t know what he was getting.

“He realised they involved animals and felt personally disgusted by what he saw and didn’t watch them anymore. He didn’t seek to peddle them.”

He added that he thought Barnett could get help from an extremely demanding course — the Internet Sexual Offending Treatment Programme, which is run in Moss Side.

Barnett’s employers were said to be understanding and would even accommodate the programme’s schedule.

Barnett received a four-month sentence, suspended for two years.

He must also attend a sex offenders’ programme with 24 months of supervision and pay £85 costs.

The chairman of the bench said: “This offence is so serious that only a custodial sentence is appropriate.

“You will know the consequences of not complying — you will go to prison immediately.”

Magistrates ordered for the DVDs to be forfeited and destroyed.