A PAEDOPHILE’S landlord ‘snapped’ when he asked his tenant if he’d taken any photos of his young daughters – and the paedophile replied ‘that’s for me to know.’

The landlord admitted punching the convicted sex offender in the face after learning about his sickening crimes. 

A court heard that Steven Coston, 52, had been handed a 14-month suspended prison sentence after admitting creating more than 15,000 indecent images of children.

He was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Friday, March 23 and the conviction was reported in the Wokingham News. 

Just days after the sentencing, when news of his crimes broke, Coston’s landlord, Leslie Dunn, went round Coston’s house, – which was next door – to demand rent payment.

Talking in court about what happened next, Dunn’s solicitor, Mr Warner, explained that his client had grown ‘angry’ on the way over to the house after he received a message from a friend regarding Coston and then read the news of his tenant’s crimes.

“[Dunn] lives at home with his partner, who suffers a disability, and his three young daughters,” Mr Warner told the court.

“He went to his tenant’s [Coston’s] house to demand payment, and when he was on his way he received a message from a friend.

“The friend told the defendant that she had seen on Facebook a message from the police that had thanked the public for their help in the conviction of Coston, who had been involved in the creation of more than 15,000 indecent images of children.”

The magistrates sitting at Reading heard that this was the moment Dunn snapped.

Mr Warner continued: “He asked: ‘And have you taken any pictures of my daughters?’ to which the ‘victim’ replied ‘That’s for me to know.’

“[Dunn] asked - ‘Well, I’ll go to the police then’ and the ‘victim’ replied ‘You’d be wasting your time, they’re not allowed to tell you.’”

It was at this point that Dunn lost his temper and punched the convicted paedophile in the face, before walking home, the court heard.

Dunn admitted the offence at the first chance when he appeared at Reading Magistrates Court on Thursday April 12.

Dunn was ordered to pay a £165 fine, including a victim surcharge of just £20.