Shopped by wife: ‘Bored and drunk’ ex-prison guard escapes jail over 3,000 child sex images

David Lightfoot, 58, claimed he was “bored and drunk” when he downloaded the images, York Crown Court heard.

Thousands of images were found on his laptop by his wife after he went to visit his parents and left the computer at home, the court was told.

The court heard how the files were in a folder marked “adult” and that his wife contacted police on realising the disturbing nature of its content.

Patrick Palmer, prosecuting, said: “She immediately phoned Mr Lightfoot and his excuse was this must have happened when he was bored and drunk.

“She immediately phoned the police and reported the matter to them. She phoned the defendant and told him she had informed the police.

“He tried to persuade her to call off the police and said he was going to commit suicide.”

Lightfoot, of Aberdeen Walk, Scarborough, admitted 17 counts of making indecent images of children and six of distributing indecent images.

Lightfoot was arrested in August 2010 when police discovered 3,000 images, including one at level five, deemed the most serious.

Officers also discovered evidence that Lightfoot had used photo-sharing websites to access images and that he was also posing on the internet as a woman called Michelle and was offering two young girls for abuse.

Judge Stephen Ashurst was told that Lightfoot, who served in the Navy and worked for the Prison Service, appeared before the court “thoroughly disgusted with himself”.

But the Recorder of York added: “It is obvious to this court you do have an unhealthy sexual interest in children.”

He said he was able to suspend the six-month jail sentence for two years due to a number of mitigating factors, including his poor health, “public shaming” and his low risk of reoffending.

He said his wife had remained “remarkably loyal and supportive” and she had suggested Lightfoot needed help rather than prison.

The judge also made Lightfoot the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order which limits his contact with children and use of computers.

He will also have to notify the police of a change of address for the next seven years.

Lightfoot’s lawyer, Glenn Parsons, said: “He says he is somewhat relieved that all this has come out.

“His behaviour came about after he lost his job in the Prison Service due to ill health. He sank into depression and heavy drinking.”