MONTANA: CAUGHT WITH PORN AFTER MUM’S TIP OFF
An obsessed fan who changed his name to Hannah Montana to honour his idol has walked free from court today after he was caught with child porn on his computer.
Montana, who is also known as Daniel Cullinane, pleaded guilty to having 283 vile images, including one at the highest level of severity.
The balding 26-year-old was arrested after a tip-off from his mother.
He later admitted responsibility for hundreds of sick images on two computers, including at his boyfriend’s house in Oxford.
Montana was arrested after the stash was discovered on his computer in September 2010.
Cynthia McFarlane, for the prosecution, said police searching his home in found a Dell laptop with pornographic images of children.
Another laptop was recovered from his boyfriend’s house at Cowley Road in Oxford, with more indecent images, for which Montana accepted he was responsible.
A total of 283 child porn images were found, including 139 at the lowest level one, 24 at level two, 55 in level three, 66 at level four and one at the most serious level five.
When he was initially arrested, Montana told police: ‘My mum is making it up, she is being so malicious.’
Montana also seemed to suggest he was carrying out research at some stages of the interview, but admitted he had been attracted to some of the older girls in the images, the court heard.
‘There were one or two occasions when my feelings were quite difficult,’ he told police.
‘It made me feel uncomfortable. I did get aroused and it made me feel uncomfortable because I knew it was wrong but your body works in different ways.’
When he was formally charged on 4 February this year, he told officers: ”I got my priorities wrong.’
Montana, of (149C) Junction Road, in Tufnell Park, north London, admitted 17 counts of possessing indecent photographs of a child.
Judge Timothy King sentenced him to 26 weeks in prison, suspended for two years, after stressing that Montana has already spent 53 days in custody.
Montana must also be supervised for 18 months, and was given a referral for treatment of gender and personality disorders.
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