Thief tips off police after finding child porn stash on dad’s stolen computer

A British man has been given a 12-month suspended jail sentence after a thief found child pornography on his laptop and tipped off police.

According to The Sun newspaper, David and Denise Pethig's lost jewelry, cash and computers when their family home in northern Wales was burgled last year.

However, the thief alerted police when he found thousands of videos and images of child pornography on David Pethig's laptop and left the computer in a derelict house to be picked up.

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"Dad's betrayal has changed my life forever. But part of me is glad that we got burgled," his daughter Lizzie Pethig, 34, is quoted as saying. 

"That thief had a conscience – which is more than my father had. If he hadn't been found out, he'd probably still be downloading child porn," she added.

A NewsCore report reprinted by the Telegraph says that Pethig, 59, claimed he had downloaded just a few images of teenagers.

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However, when Pethig appeared at a court in North Wales last November it emerged that he was in possession of 8500 images and 400 videos, the news service says.

Pethig was given a suspended jail term and ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years after admitting 17 charges of making indecent images.