A PERVERT caught with indecent images of children threw himself off a multi-storey car park after being interviewed by police.

But David Stocks survived his suicide attempt despite fracturing bones in his spine, pelvis, feet, ribs and leg – leaving him permanently disabled.

He has now been jailed for making, possessing and distributing pornographic images.

The 42-year-old, of Manor Road, Borrowash, was snared by officers after authorities in Italy alerted Derbyshire police to the fact he had been accessing child porn websites and sharing indecent pictures.

After seizing a computer and two hard drives from his home, police discovered Stocks had sent out more than 3,100 pornographic photographs to other people through chat rooms.

Following his arrest, Stocks threw himself off the Cockpit multi-storey car park and fell 30ft on to the roof of the Eagle Centre Indoor Market.

He was left using a wheelchair as a result of the injuries he suffered.

During the hearing at Derby Crown Court, Stocks was given an 18-month sentence for each of 35 charges, to run concurrently. He was also indefinitely banned from working with children and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the next 10 years. He was also made the subject of a sexual offences prevention order, which means he has to notify police if he uses a computer, and cannot use software which deletes images.

On sentencing him, Judge John Burgess said being in a wheelchair would make the prison sentence much harder.

He said: “You are obviously deeply ashamed of what you have done. It is something that led you to try to commit suicide.

“It has left you in a wheelchair indefinitely. It will make your prison sentence much harder than it would be for an able-bodied person and I reflect that in the sentence.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Dick Sharpe, supervisor of the hi-tech crime unit at Derbyshire police, said officers were now working to trace the people that Stocks had been distributing the pornographic pictures to.

He said: “We were alerted to the case by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre who had been given information by Italian authorities.

“Distribution is not as common as possession or making such images and inquiries are ongoing to try to trace the people he was distributing to.”

During the hearing the court was told that Stocks exchanged indecent pictures of children with other users 24 times in an eight-month period.

These photographs ranged from category one to category five – five being the most graphic.

A further examination of the drives seized from his home in September 2007 also revealed that 58 indecent images could be seen on his computer with a further 3,500 viewed and then deleted.

John Wood, prosecuting, said: “It was believed that he was involved in distributing indecent pictures of children and that was indeed the case.

“When the computer was examined it revealed that, on 24 occasions, within an eight-month period, he had used software to enable him to exchange indecent photographs of children with other users.”

Stocks admitted all 35 charges, 24 of which were for distribution of images.

Justin Ablott, in mitigation, said: “Following his arrest, your honour will be aware that, after his release, he tried to take his own life and jumped from the multi-storey car park. His recovery has reached a plateau and no further recovery is expected from the injuries resulted.”

Judge Burgess said child pornography was not a victimless crime.

He said: “Every one of the children in the images had been abused. The reason they are victims is because of people like you, people who want to see that kind of stuff. To have to view those images is one of the most unpleasant parts of my job.”