Man who had 55,000 child abuse images jailed

A man who had more than 55,000 child sexual abuse images on his computer and mobile phone has been jailed.

Michael Duck, 48, of Harewood Avenue in Halifax, was found guilty of four counts of making indecent images of children, possession of extreme pornography and possession of prohibited images following a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

On Thursday, he was jailed for 21 months, given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for a minimum of 10 years.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Denis Parke, from Calderdale District's Online Child Abuse Investigation Team, said Duck posed "a significant risk" to children.

Det Con Parke said: "We are pleased that Duck will now face a custodial sentence for his crimes.

"The material he possessed and shared can only be described as abhorrent – depicting the most serious sexual offences committed by adults against children and animals."

Det Con Parke said the team was dedicated to targeting those who use the perceived anonymity of the internet to cause serious harm to children.

"It is challenging work, but we are committed to removing dangerous people like Duck from the streets and protecting children," he added.

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