A PERVERT who downloaded hundreds of indecent images and videos of children – many of them babies – has been jailed for three years.

Paul McKenzie, of HMP Bullingdon, appeared at Oxford Crown Court via video link on Tuesday after admitting charges of making indecent images of children.

Sentencing him, Judge Peter Ross branded the 44-year-old, who had previously fled the country to avoid trial, a ‘pervert’ – adding that the extreme youth of the children involved in the material was particularly ‘horrifying’.

The prosecution said police first visited McKenzie's former home in Bicester in March 2015 after receiving information about an IP address linked to him.

They seized a desktop computer, which had seven peer-to-peer networking applications. The prosecution said at least two of those would have contained content that would be shareable when the computer was running.

The investigation revealed hundreds of images and videos. Some of the material included babies and children under one.

Initially, McKenzie pleaded not guilty to all five counts, later guilty to some, and eventually admitting all charges.

Prior to admitting his guilt he fled the country and was at large until he was arrested in Prague.

The defence said McKenzie had been receiving counselling in prison.

Judge Ross said: “These were babies who were the subject of sexual activity and restrained and in pain.

“No right minded person can be anything other than horrified at this abuse.

“It is one of the tragedies of the current world that, at this moment, as I address sentencing remarks to you, children all over the world are being abused and that abuse filmed to allow perverts like you... to gain what I understand to be sexual pleasure from this material.”

McKenzie was jailed for three years and four months.