A leading Hove architect started downloading and sharing child porn after losing his job and hitting the bottle, a court heard today.
Paul Zara, who worked on the restoration of both Embassy Court on Brighton seafront and the Saltdean Lido, was caught when a member of a WhatsApp group he was in was arrested.
The 62-year-old architect, a former director of Conran and Partners, pleaded guilty to possessing, downloading and distributing indecent images of children at Brighton Magistrates Court last month.
But after hearing that he had been seeking professional help even before he was arrested, a judge today spared him an immediate prison sentence.
Prosecuting at Chichester Crown Court, Rachel Beckett said: “Police arrested another man – Mr Greasby – for distributing images. On his devices, they found he had been sending and receiving indecent images over WhatsApp.
“Chats and comments between them the defendant commented, ‘nice one of a boy getting naked and spit roasted’
“He said he wanted to have sex with kids and spoke with Greasby about arranging it.”
Zara, whose wife sat in court today to support him, was arrested on 21 March last year and his Apple Mac Airbook, Apple Mac computer and a silver Conran USB were seized.
On the device, officers found images and videos, some AI generated, of children being raped, with ages ranging from one to 12 years old.
Defending, Kieran Vaughan said: “In 2019, my client lost the job he had had for 30 years – he was effectively ousted.
“He effectively locked himself away and turned to pornography and started taking a lot of alcohol.
“He is bitterly remorseful and deeply ashamed for what he has done to himself and his family. He is absolutely terrified at the prospect of being here today and what might happen.”
Judge Stuart Trimmer KC said: “These are dreadful offences and they can lead people to behave in a dreadful way. They are for some people the precursor to much worse offending.
“I’m quite certain in your case there’s no danger of that.
“You set about your own rehabilitation before you were in the possession of the police. You sought help.
“The pre-sentence report is a detailed and carefully constructed document. It comes to the conclusion that you are not in the future a person that presents a risk to children at all.
32 months suspended? I don’t think so. 24 months is maximum period which can be suspended.
You know your Sentencing Act 2020! Between six months and two years.
No such thing as CP, it’s child sexual abuse.
He’s 62 years old and the judge really thinks that he’s ‘suddenly’ developed an interest in children!!! Also, although it was ‘only’ images he spoke to the other guy very clearly about wanting to sexually abuse children and if the other guy hadn’t been caught I wonder if he would have gone on to carry-out his fantasy. Very brave comments from the judge saying he doesn’t believe he’s a danger to society, if he re-offends the judge is going to look rather silly.
Yes please there is NO SUCH THING as C Prn. Its images if abuse. The sentence and the judge are a joke.