Man spared jail for ‘act of stupidity’

A Sidbury man who admitted to possessing a stash of indecent images of children and extreme pornographic pictures including animals ‘out of curiosity’ has been spared jail.

Michael Lorberg, 54, of Furzehill, pleaded guilty to making five indecent ‘pseudo-photographs’ of children and to possessing five extreme pornographic images involving horses and dogs on his laptop when he appeared before magistrates sitting in Exeter last Tuesday (March 25).

He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, suspended for a year with a supervision requirement, and ordered to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

Prosecuting, Chris Bittlestone said Lorberg, who has no previous convictions, collected the material, which included pseudo-photographs, ‘out of curiosity’ while he was living in Seaton.

One of the photos involving a child was ranked level four - the second most serious picture that can be made. The others ranged from levels one to three.

When quizzed by police in February, Lorberg admitted to owning the images in what he described as an ‘act of stupidity’.

Vanessa Francis, mitigating, told the court that Lorberg would find jail ‘extremely difficult’.

Passing sentence, district judge Stephen Nicholls, said: “There is credit for your guilty plea and you have no previous convictions.

“I find you suitable for a suspended sentence with a community order.”

Lorberg was also ordered to pay £85 for prosecution costs and an £80 victim surcharge.