A PAEDOPHILE who downloaded dozens of indecent images of children as well as extreme pornography involving animals has been spared jail.

Darren Sullivan, of Little Lees, Charlbury, admitted three counts of making indecent images as well as one count of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Prosecutor Julian Lynch told Oxford Crown Court at his sentencing on Thursday that police were first alerted to the illicit activity after the 34-year old was caught uploading a suspect file on chat website Chatstep.

Tracing the suspicious upload to an IP address based in Charlbury, police discovered that Sullivan had been using a Macbook laptop on the website using the user name ‘no limits’.

Seizing the device, forensic investigators found 141 extreme pornographic images, six prohibited images which showed bestiality, 22 images of children in category C, 18 of category B and 17 in the most severe category; A.

Sullivan had claimed that he had accessed the images in a bid to catch out other paedophiles as part of his own ‘private investigation.’

Prosecutors rejected the argument and Sullivan went on to admit all charges.

In mitigation, Emma Fraser said that her client had shown ‘regret’ for his action.

She said: “He was burying his head in the sand, he was scared to admit what he had done because he was scared about the impact it was going to have on his family.

“He accepts absolute responsibility for the offending and has said through me that he deeply regrets his actions.”

Judge Nigel Daly sentenced Sullivan to eight months in prison for the most serious category A, four months for category B, two months for category C, and two months for the extreme pornography, all suspended for two years.

He must also participate in 25 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order.