Thatcham paedophile Keenan Grace caught with indecent images of children as young as three months

A PAEDOPHILE who hoarded more than 1,000 indecent images of children – and shared some with others – has been sentenced.

Some of the victims were babies, the court heard.

But, partly because he was aged 17 or under when the offences were committed, he was spared even a suspended prison term and given a community sentence instead.

A judge also declined to make Keenan Grace subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO), citing a “deplorable” delay in bringing the case to a conclusion.

Reading Crown Court heard on Thursday, February 26, how detectives probing child sexual exploitation in the USA alerted their UK counterparts, who raided Grace’s home.

Grace – who address was given as ‘care of’ Sandstone Grove, Thatcham – subsequently admitted possessing 959 indecent images of children in Category A – the most serious; possessing 258 images in Category B; distributing 11 Category A images and, on another occasion, distributing category A image.

All the offences were committed in Newbury on various dates between 2019 and 2021.

He has no previous convictions, but three warnings – two for offences against the person and one for a weapons offence.

During a police interview Grace answered “no comment” to all questions, the court heard.

Marie de Redman, prosecuting, said Grace’s concerning online search history showed he had a clear sexual interest in children and incest.

The victims in the images were aged between three months and 12 years, she added.

James McCrindle, for Grace, said his client was a trained tree surgeon but was “unable to continue because of anxiety surrounding this case”.

In addition, he had lost a driving job as a result of his guilty pleas to the charges being reported in the press, he added.

Grace had been sleeping rough with his partner but now had accommodation with his family and was “well supported and looked after”, the court heard.

Judge Rachel Drake acknowledged aggravating factors such as the age of the victims, the lengthy period of offending and the fact that images were shared with others.

She said: “These are images of real children being sexually abused.

“It will have caused them pain and suffering when it happened – and every time someone like you downloads those images and looks at them, you’re abusing that child again.

“When they become young adults they know someone is looking at them when they were at their most vulnerable, being exploited in a sexual way.

“That’s why what you were doing is dangerous and so serious.”

Judge Drake also acknowledged: “The devices were seized four days after your 18th birthday; you were a youth at the time, aged 15 to 17 [when you committed the offences].

“I also bear in mind the significant delay in this case.”

She made Grace subject to a two-year community order and required him to complete 100 hours of unpaid community work.

Judge Drake declined the prosecution’s application to impose a SHPO, citing the delays in the case and the fact that Grace had not re-offended since his arrest.