A MAN who enjoyed an “extremely successful career in the City” was jailed for downloading depraved images of children being abused.

A reference from Lord Sherbourne of Didsbury could not prevent Judge Nigel Daly from handing John Hewitt, of Boars Hill, a 12-month prison sentence at Oxford Crown Court on Thursday.

The 72-year-old had pleaded guilty to three counts of downloading indecent images of children before the appearance.

Officers in the Thames Valley were alerted to Hewitt’s activities by Humberside Police, who were investigating offenders in online chatrooms.

When police arrived at Hewitt’s home in Old Boars Hill, Oxford, on June 14 he immediately confessed and handed over an iPad that contained indecent images.

Further investigation, which included the recovery of a laptop at a later date, revealed that Hewitt had downloaded category A images, the most serious, as well as images in category B and C.

Some of the images showed very young children extremely distressed, bound and being sexually abused by adults.

Hewitt’s defence solicitor said the 72-year-old had been prematurely sexualised as a seven-year-old by an older boy and consequently came to view all boys as highly driven by sex.

He noted Hewitt’s previously good character and charitable work.

The court also heard how Hewitt had risen from humble beginnings to a career in the City, “rising to the top” and retiring at the age of 40.

He was also said to be a significant supporter of Wadham College, Oxford.

Hewitt, the court heard, had already made efforts to find help through therapy.

Judge Daly, however, said those who download such images contribute to their production and insisted the sentence must be custodial.

He gave a sentence of 12 months in prison for all the images and made a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years.