Sex offender used hostel resident's wi-fi code to access indecent child images

Luke Biggin committed the offence at the premises in Wakefield while he was serving a suspended sentence for voyeurism.

Leeds Crown Court heard Biggin was placed in the centre for adult offenders with physical and mental needs.

Dave Mackay, prosecuting, said the defendant managed to obtain a memory stick and used another resident's wi-fi code to download 18 indecent images of girls aged between two and five years old.

Biggin went on to commit a further offence of exposure at the hostel on November 17.

He was arrested and admitted accessing the images as he was "fascinated" with them.

The 26-year-old pleaded guilty to making indecent images of a child and exposure.

He has previous convictions for voyeurism which involved him watching a woman through a toilet window.

Biggin also has a conviction for sending a malicious communication and taking images of young girls at a shopping centre.

Kara Frith, mitigating, said Biggin was a vulnerable defendant as he had the mental age of a ten-year-old and had autism.

She said Biggin was continuing to receive support and treatment to stop him re-offending.

Miss Frith added that it would be "catastrophic" for Biggin if he was sent immediately to prison.

Biggin was made the subject of a two-year community order with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He was also told he must take part in a sex offender treatment programme.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC said: "In my judgement, to send him immediately to custody and have him released after a short period back in to the community would pose a much more significant risk of further offending than the option I am taking today.

"It seems to me that that is the bast way of reducing any risk."

The judge told Biggin: "It has got to stop."