Amy Hickson sentenced over child and animal porn images Published duration 6 March 2015

image caption Amy Hickson, 20, was 17 at the time she carried out the offences

A woman who admitted downloading and possessing more than 600 images of child pornography, as well as extreme images of animals, has been given a suspended sentence.

Amy Hickson, 20, from Hampshire, was 17 when she committed the offences.

She admitted 13 counts of making and possessing child pornography and extreme animal pornography.

The 20-year-old was given a 12-month suspended sentence when she appeared at Winchester Crown Court.

Some of the images of children were of the most serious "Category A" type.

'Animals being tortured'

Judge Susan Evans said: "There are babies in these images, as well as two-year-olds, three-year-olds... This does make it very serious indeed."

The court heard how British police received intelligence from counterparts in America, which led them to search Hickson's home.

Officers found more than 600 images on her laptop hidden in various folders, including PowerPoint presentations and password-protected folders.

Judge Evans said: "Those children are the victims.... I know for sure they suffer serious physical and emotional damage as a result."

She added there were images of "animals being tortured in effect" and said it was of concern that Hickson remained "in denial" of her offending.

Andrew Turton, defending, described it as an "exceptional" case and said it was very unusual to have a female child involved in this type of offending.

He said Hickson was very immature for her age and said there had been "bubble captions" put on to some files, "done in a childish, immature way".

Hickson, of Greys Farm Close, New Cheriton, Alresford, was ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years and made subject of a sexual offences prevention order. She has also been ordered to do 200 hours community service.

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