Formby shopkeeper walks free from court after horrific child abuse images found on his computer

Malcolm Jackson tried to blame innocent men who he said had been using his laptop

Court snatch of Malcolm Jackson, 60 owner of Formby Hardware Store leaving Liverpool Crown Court. A Formby shopkeeper caught with extreme child sex abuse images was spared prison.

Malcolm Jackson, 60, downloaded vile photos showing girls aged as young as two being tortured and raped. The Formby Hardware owner initially admitted the offences to police, saying he would be “foolish” to deny responsibility. But he later claimed it was “not in his nature” and that someone else must have used his laptop.

He pleaded not guilty and had a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, but was found guilty of 10 counts of downloading indecent images of children.

Gerald Jones, prosecuting, said there were two Category A images - the most serious category - four Category B and four Category C.

Unrepentant Jackson shook his head in the dock as the photographs were described in court.

Judge Steven Everett said: “It defies belief that anybody could do that to a young child. He can shake his head as much as he likes - that is not going to assist him.

“He obviously is in denial. I don’t think he even begins to understand the harm caused by those who view these terrible images.”

Police raided Jackson’s home in Edenhurst Drive, Formby just before 7am on March 14, 2013. Officers took away two laptops and Jackson was interviewed the next day.

He said he had found life difficult after moving from South Africa to Merseyside and admitted viewing porn.

Jackson, who owns the shop in Three Tuns Lane, said this led to issues with his wife and made him depressed.

He accepted he downloaded the images, but later retracted the admission.

The defendant was interviewed again 14 months later, when he again admitted responsibility, and said he had been “in an exceptionally dark place”.

He said: “I got caught up in a shocking world, I really did.

“I would be foolish to deny it, absolutely foolish, whether I recall it, whether I want to recall it.”

But Jackson told the jury he was led to believe he was at fault by police.

He then tried to blame several innocent men, who he said had access to the laptop.

Simon Berkson, defending, said publicity surrounding the case led to Jackson being treated “as if he is a monster”.

He added: “One can understand why people might think that given what we heard this morning.”

However, Mr Berkson said his client, who has no previous convictions, was ill at the time of the offences.

Judge Everett said: “You were convicted, rightly in my judgement, on what was overwhelming evidence. I don’t know why you tried to deny what was so obvious to everyone else.”

The judge said Jackson had since admitted responsibility again to a probation officer, but “abjectly failed” to recognise that he helped create a market for “disgusting” abuse.

He said: “You demonstrated clear distorted thinking and a clear misunderstanding of the seriousness of what you did.”

Judge Everett said a pre-sentence report suggested Jackson gained sexual pleasure from viewing the images. However, he said there was a limited number of images and Jackson was suffering from depression.

He said his wife and children were still supportive of him, despite being “utterly shocked at what he did behind their backs”.

Judge Everett handed Jackson 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, with two years’ supervision. He ordered him to attend the Northumbria Sex Offenders Group Programme and to pay £3,500 court costs.

Jackson was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must sign on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Judge Everett said: “It’s time you look very carefully at what you did. You need to think long and hard about what those children suffered.”