£50,000 Lottery winner jailed over child porn

A child sex offender who won a £50,000 National Lottery jackpot was today jailed after detectives told how he was at the centre of a paedophile ring which distributed indecent images of children.

Carl Gardner, 30, from Norwich, was given a prison sentence of three years and four months by Judge Simon Barham after admitting possessing and making indecent images of children, plus possessing "extreme" adult pornography.

The judge also made an order banning Gardner from working with children, having children at his home and from possessing a computer or mobile phone.

Police said Gardner - who had previous convictions for possessing child pornography - won his lottery prize three years ago and investigators suspect that he used some of the cash to buy mobile phones and computer equipment.

Michael Clare, for Gardner, told the court: "He lost control of his life when he won £50,000 on the lottery."

The court heard that Gardner had been given a conditional discharge in 2003 after being convicted of making indecent photographs of children and a community order in 2006 after being convicted of a similar offence - when he was also placed on the sex offenders' register.

Detectives arrested him in July 2009 after becoming suspicious about his activities on internet chat rooms.

They seized mobile phones and discovered more than 170 indecent images.

Police said Gardner appeared to be downloading internet images then passing them on to others for payment.

They said inquiries were continuing in various parts of England and Scotland and eight other people suspected of being in the ring had been arrested.