Police Officers were called to Wigan Town Hall after being told that Joseph Shaw had been caught with indecent images of children on his home computer.
A search was conducted at his home in Avondale Street, Standish, where nearly 2,000 indecent photographs were discovered on his PC, Liverpool Crown Court heard. A Smith & Wesson revolver with ammunition was also found in a safe in his bedroom.
During interviews, Shaw claimed he downloaded the images by mistake and the gun had been given to him 20 years ago by a man he only knew as Bill. He also claimed the ammunition had been given to him at a gun club and was not designed to be used in the recovered revolver.
Shaw, 42, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to 17 counts of possessing indecent images, including some classed as Level 5, which involves sadism. Shaw also admitted possessing a prohibited weapon and ammunition without a certificate.
Detective Constable Phil White, of Wigan CID, said: "Shaw systematically collected hundreds of appalling images for his own sick ends." adding "Each one of these images is the result of trauma and physical abuse meted out to the victims. These offences are shocking enough, but the fact that Shaw carried them out while serving the local community as a councillor is even worse."
"I also want to remind everyone that Greater Manchester Police takes offences like this extremely seriously and will do everything in our power to punish those who abuse children, or who view images of abused children."
Shaw was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the firearm offence and an additional year for the indecent images. A two-year jail term for the ammunition conviction will run concurrently.
Shaw, who subsequently resigned from Wigan Metropolitan Council, was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.
A former councillor and re-offending paedophile has been jailed again after he was caught boasting about training other paedophiles on how to abuse children. Joseph Shaw branded himself "paedo master trainer" and was part of an online network of paedophiles who shared vile images of kids. The 53-year-old collected thousands of horrific child abuse images and videos and was said to have an "obsession" with babies and toddlers.
The former Labour councillor for Wigan West had his home raided by police who found the images. They also found footage of an extreme pornographic nature.
As Shaw was jailed for five and a half years, a judge described the case as 'one of the worst he had ever seen'.
Elected back in 2004, Shaw was previously jailed in 2009 after police found an illegal gun and child abuse images at his home. As well as being locked up for six years, he was made the subject of a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.
Police were called to his home, in Dicconson Street, Wigan, in January of 2019 after receiving information that he had breached the court order. His home was searched and officers seized more than 30 devices, including laptops, cameras, tablets, mobile phones and portable store devices. The court heard Shaw had used the devices to share indecent images and discuss child abuse with others on messaging platforms including Kik and Telegram as far back as January 2013. He even set up chat rooms with 'numerous participants', in which graphic conversations about child abuse took place.
Shaw went under the guise of a variety of nicknames, including 'the paedo master trainer', while another referred to his interest in 'nepiophilia'. Justin Heyhoe, prosecuting, told the court that the term referred to the abuse of babies and toddlers.
While examining his devices, officers uncovered messages in which Shaw had told others it was the only way he 'got horny'. Mr Heyhoe added "His main obsession was with babies rather than older children. He was asked by the users if he felt guilty and he described it as a chemical urge men have, its nature’s way."
Shaw admitted having made 3,114 category A indecent images of children between January 1, 2013 and July 29, 2019. 1,729 category B images. 2,251 category C images. 105 prohibited images of children and 98 extreme pornographic images involving people and animals.
He admitted distributing five category A, five category B and two category C indecent images of children between the same dates. He also pleaded guilty to breaching the sexual offences prevention order by having equipment for recording images and making photographic images of children under 16.
Sentencing Shaw, Judge Graeme Smith said "I have many times described it as an epidemic of child pornography in our society. I have to say, in the five years I have spent sitting in this position, this is one of the worst cases I have seen. In particular, the fact that the majority relate to babies or toddlers suffering the most extreme form of sexual abuse. It is impossible for any right-minded individual to comprehend how anyone could look at these images without feeling disgust and outrage."
Shaw was also made to sign the Sex Offender Register for an indefinite period.