Gym teacher spared jail
AN IPSWICH gym teacher has been handed a suspended prison term for possessing hundreds of child porn images and videos.
Jacob Clark, 35, pleaded guilty to the crimes after the image were discovered by someone he had lent the computer to.
That person uncovered 195 child porn images and 27 videos and handed the computer over to the police.
The images depicted pre-pubescent girls being sexually abused and, on a one-to-five severity scale, police deemed the photos to be Category 4.
Clark, a PCYC trampoline and gym coach, had images on the laptop that were described by Judge Deborah Richards as "abhorrent" and "revolting".
Despite the prosecution calling for actual jail time, Clark was given 12 months prison, wholly suspended for four years.
Given Clark's lack of criminal history and 25 counselling sessions undertaken since he was caught, Judge Richards decided not to send him to jail.
Judge Richards gave him credit for seeking counselling on his own and co-operating fully with the police by giving the name of the person who allegedly supplied him with the discs to police.
She also noted Clark's lifelong career of working with children had now come to and end.
Judge Richards said it was important a message be sent to the community that the courts would not tolerate sexual offending against children.
Clark has the full support of his wife and had multiple family and friends in court to support him yesterday.
