Swansea graduate avoids jail term for having indecent child pictures

A SWANSEA Metropolitan University graduate has escaped a prison sentence, after admitting possession of indecent photographs of children and animals.

Swansea Magistrates' Court heard Frederico Salamino, of Bernard Street, Uplands, was found to have had 1,180 indecent images of children under the age of 18 on his computer equipment, of level 1 category.

The rating system, from 1 to 5, puts one as the most serious.

The children were believed to be aged 6 and 10.

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He was also found to have 29 images involving beastiality. The charges include possession of images "portraying an act of intercourse/oral sex with a dead/alive animal", named as a dog.

Prosecuting, Anwen Evans told the court the 27-year-old had been referred to police after his former girlfriend contacted a counselling website with concerns over his viewing of child pornography.

An arrest was issued for the former automotive design student at his former home in Rhondda Street, and during interview with police he would only reply: "No comment".

His computer equipment was taken away for forensic examination, when the indecent images were discovered in March.

Mitigating, Peter Singh said Salamino, who comes from Italy, had begun to see a behavioural therapist on a voluntary basis to address his offending.

He said: "He is well-liked by his family in spite of the offences he has been charged with.

"He is someone who has not been before the court before, yet is battling with a long-standing interest in child pornography, dating back ten years.

"He fully accepts wrong doing and wants to seek help to address his addiction.

"They are all level one images, but there is no evidence they have been distributed, and no evidence he was involved in their manufacture. He has not shown the images to others, and they were for his own personal viewing."

Chairman of magistrates John Evans ordered Salamino to carry out a three-year, supervised community order, and put him on a sex-offenders programme.

He said: "We view these offences extremely seriously.

"You had over 1,000 images of children of a very young age.

"This is not acceptable behaviour by anybody.

"But we have decided to try and help you with your problem and therefore make you subject to a community order.

"But should you fail to comply with any part of this order, you will be brought back to court, and the bench will view that extremely seriously."

Salamino was also ordered to pay £85 costs.