A paedophile who campaigned for the right to have sex with children was jailed today after a collection of child pornography was found at his home.

David Arthur Joy, 66, from Loughborough, was a member of the now-defunct Paedophile Information Exchange (Pie), an international organisation of people who argued that the age of consent should be lowered because children were sexual beings in their own right.

Today, the pony-tailed ex-teacher was handed an indeterminate jail term after he pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making or possessing indecent images of children.

Sentencing him at Leicester Crown Court, Judge Michael Pert QC said that he must serve a minimum of 18 months before he can be considered for parole, but that, given Joy’s beliefs, that day “may never come”.

The judge said: “It’s clear that you hold firmly to a set of beliefs involving sexual activity with adults and children. Those beliefs are wholly in variance to the views held by most members of society, (and are) views that most of society would find abhorrent.”

Pie became well-known in the early 1980s when members faced charges of sending obscene articles through the post in the form of newsletters, prompting MPs to lobby Leon Brittan, the Home Secretary, to ban the group.

Last year officers from Scotland Yard’s Paedophile Unit carried out raids on members of Pie's governing committee, visiting Joy's one-bedroom flat on January 24. The property was so untidy that officers had to climb around rotting piles of rubbish, newspapers and clutter, the court heard.

They unearthed 1,129 indecent images involving children as young as one in files by his bed, between the pages of books, in magazines and on two home computers. Several were in the very worst “level 5” category, which includes sadism.

Among the haul, police also found photographs, believed to have been taken by Joy himself with a zoom lens, of young children in swimwear on beaches.

He pleaded guilty at a previous hearing to four counts of making indecent images between January 1, 2000 and January 24, 2006 and seven counts of possession.

The court was told he also had previous convictions for child sex offences dating back to the 1970s and 1980s, including the attempted rape of a young girl, and indecent assault.

In mitigation, Steven Gosnell, defending, said that his client had not touched a child for more than 20 years and now led a reclusive life with no access to children.

Police involved in the case today said that they were pleased to see him behind bars. Detective Constable Richard Morgan, of Scotland Yard’s Paedophile Unit, said: “David Joy is an educated, intelligent man who along with his fellow Pie associates holds an unwavering and lifelong held belief that he should be able to have sex with children.

“He has backed this up in the past with constructive argument, and in my opinion represents an ongoing danger to children. As long as he is off the streets, Loughborough is a safer place.

“I personally found him quite chilling, as he cannot see anything wrong with his beliefs. It is quite clear that he and his fellow Pie members are convinced that they are right and the rest of society is wrong.

“It was also clear that he was still building his collection of child abuse photographs almost to the point when we broke through his front door on the morning of his arrest.”

Joy’s conviction and sentence was the “last piece in the jigsaw”, said Mr Morgan, with all the leading Pie associates now serving prison sentences.

He added: “David Joy is a lifelong offender who has lived in various parts of the country. If anyone has any information regarding him, I would urge them to speak to their local police.”

Last year two other leading members of the group were jailed, after their homes were searched in the same series of police raids.

Thomas O’Carroll, 61, an out-of-work journalist of Shildon, county Durham, who was formerly chairman of Pie, was sentenced for two-and-a-half years for possession, making and distributing indecent images at Middlesex Crown Court last year.

At the same hearing Michael Studdart, 67, a retired Anglican minister, of Hindhead, in Surrey, was given four years behind bars for similar offences.

Sentencing Joy, Judge Pert said: “I am informed by your previous convictions and I have no doubt whatsoever that you do pose a risk of serious harm to members of the public in the future.

“You will go to prison and you will not be released until it is deemed safe for you to be released. That day, if it comes, will come when they are satisfied you pose no further danger.”

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