A PAEDOPHILE who shared disgusting images of children being sexually abused has walked free from court.

A judge opted against sending David Fleming to prison straight away, choosing instead to impose rehabilitative work and community service.

The 34-year-old appeared before Warrington Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced on charges of possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children.

He also faced a driving matter of failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

Jessica Pridding, representing the prosecution in the case explained how Fleming, while in Warrington on January 23 last year, was found in possession of 74 indecent images of children.

These were graded as category C – the least severe of all three grading categories – however two of these were distributed to others by the defendant.

The driving matter was committed in Manchester on November 3.

When suspected of having driven a vehicle, and having been required to provide a specimen of blood for a laboratory test in the course of an investigation into whether he had committed an offence, he failed to provide such a sample without a reasonable excuse.

Before sentencing, deputy district judge Mary Dowrick remarked that the severity of the offending merited a custodial sentence.

However, she considered the defendant’s guilty pleas and concluded that the sentence could be suspended.

Fleming, now of Oldham Road in Middleton, Manchester, was sentenced to 12 weeks in prison suspended for 18 months.

He must also complete 35 rehabilitation activity requirement days and 150 hours of unpaid work, as well as pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £120.

Moreover, he was ordered to sign the sex offender register for the next seven years and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years.

For the driving offence, he was handed an 18-month community order and disqualified from driving for the next 20 months.