The boss of an IT firm who pleaded guilty to having child porn images on his computer has been has been given strict limitations on his computer use by a judge.
Businessman Stephen Patrick Mabberley, 64, of Wembley Court, Penwortham, near Preston, admitted eight counts of possession of indecent images and two of possessing extreme pornographic images at Preston Crown Court.
The IT specialist, who runs Mabart Computing, based in Springfield Street, Plungington, Preston.
The firm’s clients include multi million pound firms.
On the company’s website he describes himself as a “friendly, honest and reliable IT man.”
But that reputation came to an end when he was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, by Judge Simon Newell, who also imposed a lifelong Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) and put him on the sex offenders register for 10 years.
He is banned from working with children, must undergo 18 months supervision and must not use a computer unless it can retain a browsing history and be inspected by police.
When confronted by the Evening Post after his conviction Mabberley denied the court case having taken place telling a reporter: “It’s a nasty rumour”.
It is understood Mabberley, a former project manager, launched the business in 2001.
He has been in the business of computers for more than 20 years.
DC Steve Towler said: “This was a long, protracted and complicated investigation. The fact Mabberley has been given a lifelong SOPO reflects the serious and concerning nature of the images he had in his possession.”