A 36-year-old from Sheffield received a suspended prison sentence for possessing 278 indecent images of children downloaded between 2017 and 2022. Judge Jeremy Richardson KC initially considered immediate custody unavoidable given the defendant's 2012 conviction for nearly identical offending, but suspended the 16-month term after considering mitigating factors: the man had voluntarily contacted a child protection charity before arrest, engaged in therapy, and received an autism diagnosis.

The judge emphasised the rarity of this lenience, warning that any repetition would result in imprisonment without leniency. The defendant remains on the sex offenders' register for a decade and is bound by a sexual harm prevention order. The sentence reflects the court's view that rehabilitation serves the public interest in this case, though the judicial comments make clear the seriousness with which repeat offences of this nature are regarded.