A married man from the Black Country has been handed a suspended prison sentence after confessing to police that he had accessed indecent images of children, but only once his wife had left the room during a raid on their home.
Shock admission during police raid
Miroslaw Dobersztajn, 48, of Lancaster Place in Bloxwich, initially denied any knowledge of the offences when officers executed a warrant at his property on December 5. Prosecutor Ammo Khanna told Wolverhampton Crown Court that police had received intelligence linking a device at the address to the possession or sharing of illegal content.
When questioned, both Dobersztajn and his wife stated they knew nothing about the allegations. It was only when his wife went to another room to fetch a computer that the defendant made his admission to the officers present.
Systematic search for vile content
The court heard that Dobersztajn had been drinking at home when he systematically searched the internet for indecent images of children, some as young as six years old. His searches included terms for '11 to 16-year-old' and 'preteens'.
Investigators found a total of 14 indecent images of children, aged between six and 15, on a Dell Mini computer. Evidence showed the use of a peer-to-peer file-sharing programme to obtain the material.
In a police interview, Dobersztajn claimed he had been in 'shock' the morning after the incident and had begun deleting the content. He denied gaining any sexual gratification from the images.
Suspended sentence and strict orders
Defence barrister Thomas Duggan argued the incident was a 'one-off', stating his client's risk to the public 'can be managed'. He highlighted Dobersztajn's 'full and frank' admissions and the 'wake-up call' the process had provided.
Recorder Michael Duck KC, sentencing, emphasised the harm caused by such offending. "If it were not for people like you who demonstrate interest in such images, there would be no market for this type of imagery," he told the defendant. "Therefore you, as the end market, are contributing to the suffering of these children."
Dobersztajn, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. On Thursday, December 11, he received:
- An eight-month prison sentence, suspended for two years.
- A 55-day rehabilitation activity requirement.
- 100 hours of unpaid work.
- £150 in costs.
He was also made subject to a 10-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and must remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the same period. The court heard he and his wife have a combined monthly income of £1,800 and a £1,000 mortgage.
Recorder Duck concluded by telling Dobersztajn he had been given an opportunity to engage with the probation service and must ensure such offending never happens again.
