Boy, five, found lewd photos left in public toilet

Stephen Bloomer, 63, appeared at Batley and Dewsbury Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday and admitted leaving the images, plus his contact details in the public toilets at Market Place.

Andy Wills, prosecuting, said a man went into the toilets on Friday June 24 with his five-year-old son.

The boy found an A4 sheet of paper and handed it to his father. The man unfolded the sheet, which had four images of intimate body parts and a note with contact details.

Mr Wills said: “He was shocked by the images, to the point where he felt he had to contact the police.”

The man handed the images into police, and officers called the phone number written on the note. A man called Steve answered and gave his address.

When police visited the address, they arrested Bloomer, of Princess Lane, Dewsbury.

When interviewed, he admitted leaving the images, which included one of himself, saying he hoped someone with a similar interest would find them.

Mr Wills said: “Bloomer accepted the images could be seen as lewd, obscene and disgusting, and accepted that the toilet was a public place and anyone could have got their hands on them.”

Bloomer did not intend a child to see the images, Mr Wills said, adding that Bloomer had found similar images in the toilet on a previous occasion.

Bloomer, who was mitigating for himself in court, pleaded guilty to one count of outraging public decency.

When asked if he had anything to say to the magistrates, he said he did not.

Magistrate Paul Joliffe decided not to sentence Bloomer on Tuesday, and adjourned proceedings for probation staff to prepare a report on him.

He will next appear in court on July 26.