Ex-cadets volunteer jailed over child porn images

A former Sea Cadets volunteer was today jailed for downloading pornographic images of children.

Garry Hunt, who was also the chairman of the Royal British Legion in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, had viewed hundreds of pictures of pre-pubescent girls being abused and assaulted, a court heard.

The 53-year-old from Orton Goldhay, Peterborough, was convicted of making 326 indecent images of children after a trial in January.

Peterborough Crown Court heard today that from March 2007 to May 2008 Hunt had viewed the photographs on his home computer.

Alex Milne, mitigating, said since Hunt's arrest in May 2008 his life "lies in ruins around him".

Mr Milne said that Hunt's wife has left him and his friends had "shunned" him.

He said: "Effectively everything has been taken from him. It is his own doing but he has suffered already and has been suffering for a long time."

Judge Peter de Mille condemned Hunt and others who committed similar crimes.

"Every one of these images is a picture of a child being abused or assaulted and those who make these images, like you, encourage that abuse.

"It is not surprising that you are no longer welcome at the sea scouts where you used to help out.

"You are also no longer welcome at the Royal British Legion where you were a respected member and officer of that great organisation.

"You had become a respected member of society and now you have lost that."

Judge de Mille jailed Hunt for 12 months and made a sexual offences prevention order banning him from being in the presence of a child without another adult and forbidding him to take part in an organised activity whereby he would supervise children.

Hunt was also signed onto the sex offences register for 10 years.