A PERVERT caught with dozens of indecent images of children - some as young as four years old - has been spared jail.

Gary Connolly, of Pound Way, Oxford, had already admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing hearing yesterday how the 35-year old was caught after a police raid at his home in May last year.

While there he was heard to say to officers he had been using file sharing tool Torrent but at first denied downloading the illicit material.

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Officers seized electronic items and on further analysis discovered a cache of banned images and videos of children.

He was found to have 60 images in the most severe category - A, as well as 11 in category B and 12 in category C.

Prosecutors said that some of the images showed children in clear 'distress' and one was only four years old.

In mitigation his defence team said that Connolly had suffered from numerous physical and mental health problems as a child and as an adult.

Sentencing Judge Ian Pringle QC called the images 'grotesque abuse by adults'.

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He said: "These are appalling images but you were in possession of them when police went to your home.

"People who come into possession of these images simply create a market and that is what you were doing.

"The images you were in possession of included 16 movies of category A and anyone who has had the misfortune of having to view the images as I have had will know how appalling these images are."

Connolly was handed a nine-month jail term suspended for two years, and made subject to a community order to include 30 days rehabilitation activity requirement.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for 10 years.