Man sentenced over indecent images of Harry Potter star Emma Watson

A man who superimposed the head of Harry Potter star Emma Watson on to indecent images of children was given a community order today

A man who superimposed the head of Harry Potter star Emma Watson on to indecent images of children was given a community order today.

Unemployed John Cavanagh, 39, was found to have nearly 1,300 indecent images of children when he was arrested in November 2008.

Eight of the pictures depicted the young actress, showing her head on the body of naked young children, Manchester Crown Court heard.

In one case Cavanagh had superimposed his own head on to an image of a scene from one of the films.

He was arrested by police after he failed to pay the rent on his flat in Creswell Grove, Didsbury.

Officers became suspicious after seeing him typing on his laptop and they seized the computer.

In addition to the indecent images, more than 2,000 legal images of Miss Watson were found, the court heard.

He pleaded guilty to 19 counts of making indecent photographs of children at an earlier hearing.

All of the images were of level one or two, with five being the most serious, the court heard.

Judge Anthony Hammond sentenced Cavanagh to a three-year community order with supervision, and he was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years.

He was also made the subject of a sexual offences order, banning him from contacting the young star and from using the internet for anything other than gaining employment.

Judge Hammond said: "Your life is clearly falling apart. You have problems with relations with your parents and with employment and accommodation and with your own temper.

"The few images that purported to show the actress are crude images and not the sort of thing that is of any commercial value.

"These are pathetic images kept for your own purposes. You are not allowed to have them because quite simply children are harmed in the making of these photos."