James Mercer was hit with the Sexual Offenses Prevention Order (SOPO) in 2013, after being arrested with a sick hiding place of indecent images of children. The ten-year order barred him from accessing the Internet unless he kept his browsing history and made it available for police surveillance. But when officers conducted a regular check on his computer equipment as part of SOPO, they discovered another library with “disgusting” photos. The 41-year-old from Ashburn, Tower Hill, Kirkby, later admitted to having 1,997 obscene pictures of children. READ MORE: Boy, 16, led teens in three shootings and arson attack By category, he downloaded the files in almost three years between May 16, 2018 and March 17, 2021. Mercer admitted to downloading 368 Category A images – the most serious category involving child rape – plus 323 Category B and 1,306 Category C files. Liverpool Crown Court heard he also pleaded guilty to possession of seven banned [cartoon or animated] pictures of a child. Prosecutors said Mercer did not in fact violate SOPO, as the sex offender had not deleted or attempted to manipulate his search history. The judge, recorder Michael Taylor, said his previous convictions were an aggravating feature of the case. He ruled that the offenses were so serious that only a direct custodial sentence was appropriate. Recorder Taylor jailed Mercer for 12 months and sent him to a new indefinite SOPO. The judge told Mercer he had to sign the Sex Offender Register for 10 years. Speaking after the case, an NSPCC spokesman said: “Every child who appears in these obscene images is a victim of horrific abuse. their. “The NSPCC is determined to ensure that the government’s forthcoming Internet safety bill is strengthened to prevent offenders like Mercer from using the Internet world as a gateway to child abuse.” Children can contact Childline at 0800 1111. Adults concerned about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email [email protected] Anyone concerned about their behavior or that of a family member can contact stopitnow.org.uk and get-help.stopitnow.org.uk Read more related articles Read more related articles