'You stop being a child at 12': Self-named paedophile escapes jail despite extreme porn stash

A paedophile who told investigators "you stop being a child at 12" has escaped jail despite being found in possession of thousands of child abuse images.

Simon Colburn, 50, shared his sick views with police after being arrested in November 2015 when officers received a tip-off about men sharing child pornography.

A search of Colburn's flat in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset led officers to uncover an enormous stash of child pornography on his computers, including about 1,300 images classed as the most serious and four "extreme" images involving animals.

In an interview with investigators he said he believed childhood ends at age 12.

Despite more than 4,200 child porn images being found in his possession, Colburn escaped prison after being handed a nine-month suspended sentence at Bristol Crown Court on Friday (27 January).

National Crime Agency senior investigating officer Andy Peach said: "Colburn had thousands of disgusting images, held the twisted view that childhood ended when you're 12 and originally denied the offences.

"He only pleaded guilty the day before his trial was due to start.

"Viewing child sexual abuse is a vile crime and we do everything we can to bring those doing it to justice."

A trawl through Colburn's internet history revealed he had searched for pre-teen material and had collected images of girls aged 12 to 14 in bikinis.

After telling officers he considered 12-year-olds adults, a later interview Colburn saw him claim he had stopped "thinking that way" and was contemplating seeking help for his actions from a charity helping child sex abusers.

He ended his interview by asking if he was going to prison, police said.

A trawl through his electronic devices showed he possessed 1,290 Category A images, 782 Category B images, 2,193 Category C images and four classed as "extreme" involving animals.

Officers also discovered Colburn uploaded 21 files and sharing with other paedophiles.

Colburn, who had moved from his Somerset home to Caldicot, Monmouthshire since his arrest, originally denied a string of child pornography offences but pleaded guilty in January to three counts of making indecent images of children, possession of indecent images of children and possession of extreme pornography.

His sentencing also saw him given a rehabilitation requirement for 50 days, ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.

Colburn is also said to be receiving help from the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a registered child protection charity dedicating to reducing the risk of children being sexually abused.

It works with victims of sexual abuse, as well as male and female sexual abusers and young people with inappropriate sexual behaviour.

More information for adults concerned about their own or someone else's behaviour is available from the Stop It Now! helpline on 0808 1000 900.