A “DANGEROUS” Huddersfield paedophile who was jailed for sex attacks on a young girl has won a cut in his jail sentence.
The Appeal Court decision means Christopher James Metcalfe could be free by November 2012.
Top judges decided that his five and a half year prison sentence for sex assaults on a young girl and child pornography offences was too long.
Metcalfe, 39, of High Brooms, Birkby, was sent to jail by a judge at Bradford Crown Court last November after admitting a string of child sex offences.
He had pleaded guilty to four charges of sexual assault on the girl, 11 offences of making indecent images of a child and one charge of possessing more than 80 indecent images of children.
Deemed dangerous Metcalfe, was also given two-and-a-half years of extended licence conditions to monitor him on release.
But yesterday, despite increasing the licence period to four years, three appeal judges cut the custodial portion of his sentence to four years, allowing his automatic release after serving only two behind bars.
“He will, as all sex offenders do, find it a difficult time in prison”, said Mr Justice Mackay, sitting with Lord Justice Elias and Mr Justice Hickinbottom.
“His best mitigation is perhaps his previous good character.
“We agree that, in principle, the extended sentence was the appropriate and necessary form of sentence, but, in our judgement, the custodial element of the term was too high and so high as to be correctly described as manifestly excessive”.
Metcalfe was caught out when a girl accused him of attacking her by molesting her genitals.
Police pounced and investigated his computer equipment. Stored there, they found a “compiled catalogue of child pornography”, the judge said, including some material of the most serious nature as categorised by police.
Metcalfe twice allowed the girl to believe she was going to have to give evidence against him in court, before pleading guilty at the last minute.
He has said he wants professional help for his problems.
At his trial, Judge Peter Benson said: “On both occasions the complainant attended no doubt with great anxiety anticipating that she would have to give evidence.
“That indicates to me that you are a thoroughly selfish individual who, because you have no inhibitions about seeking sexual gratification, presents in the future a high risk of harm by the commission of sexual offences against young girls”.
Police investigating his activities also found links to internet chatrooms where sexual activity with under-age girls was discussed.
Metcalfe also appeared to have posted or sent a picture of his young victim to another person using the chatroom.
He has had to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.
