A PERVERT who was an active member of social media groups which shared videos and pictures of children being raped has been jailed.

Stuart Brickwood, 50, belonged to groups called “Send pics and vids of your girls aged 13 only” and “Young girls up to 17 or be removed”, Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Police officers raided his property in Hayes Road, Clacton, after monitoring his perverse online activity and seized six devices.

When analysed, they contained videos and pictures of children as young as four being “raped and abused”.

Echo: Sentencing - Brickwood was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown CourtSentencing - Brickwood was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court (Image: Archant)

A sexually charged conversation with a young girl who said her parents didn’t allow her on the mobile phone app was also found.

Brickwood admitted four offences of possessing indecent images of children.

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Jailing him for 13 months, Judge Mary Loram KC said: “With competence you navigated social media to pursue your interest in obtaining indecent images of children.

“There is significant evidence of your entrenched sexual interest of children and in your case you are acting on it.

Echo: Abuse - the content shared by Brickwood involved children being sexually abusedAbuse - the content shared by Brickwood involved children being sexually abused (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“What you were looking at was images of children being raped and abused and that would not happen if it wasn’t for people like you.”

Helen Dawson, prosecuting, said Category A, B and C indecent images were found on Brickwood’s devices and saved over a seven year period between 2013 and 2020.

She revealed the defendant was part of five social media groups eliciting and distributing the illegal content.

Some of the group names told members to post pictures and videos of girls aged between 13 and 19 “or be banned”.

Echo: Hearing - Chelmsford Crown CourtHearing - Chelmsford Crown Court (Image: Google Maps)

Nick Bonehill, mitigating, said: “He gets angry because he gets embarrassed about the situation and is so ashamed.

“He has tried to seek assistance in the ways that he can.”

But Judge Loram lambasted Brickwood for refusing to speak about his offending in a pre-sentence report as he told the officer he “will get angry” if he has to.

He also denied having any sexual interest in children.

Judge Loram added: “This gallops past the custody threshold.

“There is clearly no realistic chance of rehabilitation.”

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