Serious-crime officers catch Pudsey student downloading vile abuse images
Details were passed onto West Yorkshire Police
A paedophile was caught after his online activities attracted the attention of the National Crime Agency.
Sameer Afsar avoided custody at Leeds Crown Court this week.
He admitted possessing the images - including the most serious kind that depict children being raped - but the 23-year-old continues to deny his sexual interest in children.
Prosecutor Joel Wootten said the police were tipped off by the NCA in May 2024 that Afsar was involved in downloading the sickening images.
He was later arrested from his home address on Priesthorpe Avenue, Stanningley, and his mobile phone seized.
They found 15 Category A images - the worst kind - five Category B and one in Category C.
Afsar gave a no-comment interview at the police station, and later gave a second interview in which he denied a sexual interest in children.
He eventually admitted three counts of making indecent images, but only changed his pleas to guilty after a trial was listed.
No mitigation was offered after Judge Simon Batiste said he would not send him into custody.
He told Afsar: “Some people, when looking at and downloading illegal images, think they are not committing serious offences.
“They perceive they are not harming anyone. That’s not true.
“Without people viewing these images in many cases would not be created.”
He acknowledged that Afsar was a full-time student, so suspended his six-month sentence for 18 months.
He ordered he complete 30 rehabilitation days with probation and 80 hours of unpaid work.
He put him on the sex offender register for seven years and gave him a seven-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) to curb his internet use and allow it to be monitored.