Rufford man’s suspended sentence after child porn found on computer

Nov 15 2012 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

A LONER from Rufford who secretly filmed indecent images of young children while they played also downloaded more than 1,000 pornographic images of youngsters, a court heard.

Martin Goodyear, who was found to have a large collection of weapons and cameras and camcorders as well as childrens' clothing, was told by a judge that it was “a very worrying case.”

Liverpool Crown Court heard that Goodyear had been filming unsuspecting children while they were enjoying themselves at events, including the Southport Air Show.

Judge Brian Lewis said that while 44-year-old Goodyear accepted he had a problem with his behaviour he was not sure that he understood the harm done to the children in the downloaded photographs.

Goodyear lives with his elderly sick parents and is their full time carer.

Judge Lewis said: “Sadly, probably because of your fairly solitary existence this was the only sexual activity open to you.”

He told Goodyear he had “teetered on the brink of going to prison today” but suspended a 12 month jail term for two years.

He placed him under supervision for two years with attendance on an internet sex offenders programme to help protect the public from him in future.

Goodyear, of Brick Kiln Lane,was also ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

An indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed restricting his internet use and banning him from having a device for recording images at any organised public events.