A man caught with a haul of animal porn and an indecent image of a child has been sentenced.
Simon Nuttall, of Green Lane, Leigh, represented himself during a hearing at Bolton Crown Court today (Tuesday March 23).
The 51-year-old was being sentenced after pleading guilty to possessing 20 extreme pornographic images and an indecent image of a child.
Police found the images on Nuttall's mobile phone after arresting him for a separate matter in May 2018, prosecution barrister Joshua Bowker told the court.
Mr Bowker said that of the 20 extreme pornographic images, 19 of them were videos featuring dogs.
The indecent image fell into the most serious category (A) and was described as a 59 second video, in which an adult man and adult woman had sex, while a child under the age of two was present.
Mr Bowker submitted an application for a sexual harm prevention order, that would allow police to monitor Nuttall's devices, prevent him from having contact with children under the age of 16, or going within 50 metres of a school.
The judge, Recorder Alexandra Simmonds asked Nuttall, who chose to defend himself, if he had anything to say about the crimes.
He responded: "I think it was a really stupid thing to do and it comes down to putting a lot of trust into a lot of people that I don't know."
Nuttall also made reference to losing his dad when he was younger and told the court that he wouldn't have any problems with the proposed sexual harm prevention order.
He added: "I only have a mobile phone now.
"I'm at work most of the time and I don't go out very often. I'm quite a private person. If I do go out, it's just a ride on my motorbike."
Asked why he chose to turn down legal representation, Nuttall said: "I can't really afford it at the moment because times are difficult."
Nuttall later explained that he takes home around £1,700 a month from his job but is in debt due to losing his house.
Recorder Simmonds sentenced Nuttall to an 18-month community order.
She said: "These offences are now of some age and there's been no repetition of this sort of offending.
"You live with your mother, you are in employment, you are assessed as posing a low risk of re-offending.
"Given everything I know about the case and you, I feel as if I can draw back from sending you to prison and make you the subject of a community order."
Under the order, Nuttall will have to complete 100 hours of unpaid work and 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Recorder Simmonds also imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order on Nuttall.
