A BRIDPORT musician has been given a community order for possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.

Garry Martin Smith, aged 66, was in possession of 288 indecent images of children between April 2016 and January 2020.

Smith, of Mount Pleasant, Bridport, admitted offences at a previous court appearance and has now been sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Prosecuting, Dominik Morton, told the court that some of the children featured in Smith’s collection of indecent images were as young as seven years old.

Smith admitted to possession of five counts of category A indecent images of children – two of which were videos – eight counts of category B images, and 275 counts of category C images.

Dorset Echo: Garry Smith outside Weymouth Magistrates' Court in a previous court appearance. Garry Smith outside Weymouth Magistrates' Court in a previous court appearance.

Indecent images are rated with category A being the most serious.

Mr Morton said Smith accessed many of the category C images through the social media website, Tumblr.

Mitigating, Alejandra Tascon, said the National Crime Agency (NCA) notified police that Smith had been viewing category C images in 2018.

However, it was not until March 2020 that police showed up to Smith’s house to arrest him.

In his previous court appearance before magistrates, it was said that Smith, who was remorseful, had been cooperative with police investigations by showing the sites to officers he viewed the indecent images on.

Smith is a singer and guitarist who is known as Garry ‘the Slide Guy’ Smith.

Ms Tascon said Smith’s wife took her marriage vows extremely seriously and was continuing to stand by him.

Smith supported his wife after she was diagnosed with an illness and the couple were described as having “quite a beautiful relationship.”

Judge Jonathan Fuller said: “It is a terrible trade that people involve themselves in, and it is a terrible thing that adults seek gratification from these images.”

When summarising the case, the judge said that Smith had “clear insight” into what he did and that there was a low risk of him reoffending.

Smith was given a 12-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement. He was given a five-year sexual harm prevention order and is required to sign the sex offenders' register for five years.

The court also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of three of Smith's computer devices which were seized by the police. He must pay £425 towards prosecution costs and a £85 victim surcharge.