Pervert got away with trading and downloading vile images for nearly seven years, court is told

Wayne Kipling was found with nearly 2,000 of images on his computer, including over 500 classed as Category A - the most serious - and nearly 600 extreme pornographic images.

Appearing at Leeds Crown Court this week, the 34-year-old admitted three counts of making indecent photographs dating between December 2012 and March 2019.

Prosecuting, Paul Reid said police had tracked down Kipling to his address at Park View, Kinsley in 2019.

Armed with a search warrant, he failed to answer the door but found it found it to be unlocked.

They entered the property and found Kipling asleep in bed.

Among the items seized was a Samsung mobile phone and and iPad, on which they quickly located indecent images.

He initially told police that he had been searching for adult fantasy images and said the child abuse images "popped up".

But after a full examination of his electronic devices, he was found to have 530 Category A images, 411 Category B, 473 Category C and 579 extreme pornographic images, some of which dated back to 2012.

Mr Reid told the court: "He said he was disgusted and said 'never again'.

"He said it was not for sexual gratification, it was just the danger of having them."

Kipling's barrister, Andrea Parnham, gave little in the way of mitigation for her client after Judge Christopher Batty said the defendant would not be going to prison, handing him a three-year community order instead.

Judge Batty told Kipling: "Because I'm imposing a community order I do not want you to think that this is not serious.

"The problem with people like you looking and searching for these images is that you provide a market place, and because there's a market place there are children every day being abused.

"I could give you nine months' jail and you would be out in four-and-a-half but nobody would speak to you. There's a chance here that people can work with you."

Along with the community order, he ordered Kipling to undergo a sexual offending programme and handed him a five-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) which allows his internet use to be monitored.