A PERVERT caught with photographs of child abuse as well as 8,000 banned 'cartoon' images of children has been handed a community penalty.

Harry Paris had already admitted three counts of making indecent images of children and two of possessing prohibited images.

The 24-year-old of Bourton Close, Witney, appeared at Oxford Crown Court to be sentenced today.

Outlining the case prosecutor Julian Lynch said that police were first alerted after US authorities reported concerns from a child on an online gaming platform concerning Paris.

READ ALSO: Oxford-Cambridge Expressway paused in Budget.

As a result police went to his Witney home and seized a computer.

On further investigation he was found to have one image in the most severe category - A.

He also had one image of a child in category B and five in category C.

He was also found to have more than 8,000 prohibited images of children.

Prosecutors said these images were 'cartoon' images and not real children.

The court also heard that Paris has no previous convictions for any other offences.

In mitigation his defence barrister Lucy Ffrench said that her client was 'sincerely sorry' for what he had done.

She said: "He is glad he was caught and he accepts his behaviour was going down a road that was increasingly harmful to himself and potentially to others as well."

Sentencing, Judge Nigel Daly ordered a community order for two years.

As part of that order Paris will obey a three-month overnight curfew and participate in a sexual offenders treatment programme.

He must also complete 10 rehabilitation activity requirement days and pay a victim surcharge of and £100 costs.

Paris will also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years.