A PAEDOPHILE who watched young children being abused online has been slapped with a community order.

Phillip Wilson admitted downloading almost 100 indecent images and 16 movies featuring youngsters between five and 13 years old.

Handing the sex offender a two-year community order yesterday, Judge Ian Pringle QC told Wilson he would take a 'merciful' course and spare him from jail.

He added: "Some people quite wrongly think there are no real victims when they simply look at images on a screen. They're wrong.

"These are real children that you are watching being abused and if you are ever tempted to look at such images again, just remind yourself, when you flick the switch, that's what you are doing - creating a market for abusing children."

Prosecutor Cathy Olliver told Oxford Crown Court police seized Wilson's laptop after searching his home in Prescott Avenue, Banbury.

Wilson, who appeared at the court via video link from Bullingdon Prison, initially told officers he had only viewed sexually explicit material involving adults, denying he shared indecent images with others.

But the 30-year-old later admitted to his crime after police discovered the illegal material on his laptop, revealing he tried to delete most of it.

Defence barrister Ronan McCann said Wilson, who had no previous convictions but two cautions, had 'embroiled' himself into a 'strange digital form of life' for the past two years.

The defendant was 'desperate' to engage with support from probation officers, he added.

Wilson, who admitted seven counts of making indecent images of children, was also made subject to a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, must pay a victim surcharge and sign the sex offenders register.