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A paedophile caught by police with nearly 350 indecent pictures of children on his computer has been j ailed for three months.

Brian Hart, 33, of Constable Road, Haverhill, admitted two charges of distributing indecent photographs and 15 of possessing them between January 2000 and October 2001.

Judge Nicholas Beddard told Hart the photographs were “quite horrible”, some showing sexual activity between adults and very young children.

“They do show the degree of corruption and in some cases fear to which these individual children were subjected.

“You must take some responsibility for that, as if people like you were not able to take possession of these images they would not be made in the first place.~” Judge Beddard said.

Ian Francis, prosecuting at Bury St Edmunds Crown Court, said the offences came to light through a joint operation by internet provider Yahoo! and the Metropolitan Police Obscene Publications Unit. Sexually explicit images, including some of adults and young children, were traced to Hart’s computer.

It was found to hold 346 indecent images of children, with 140 more having been there in the past.

He had distributed two images on to an internet site where other people could see them. He had no previous convictions.

Neerja Sharma, for Hart, said her client, who is unemployed and living with a partner, had immediately admitted the offences. He downloaded the images after visiting a chat-room and was very remorseful for what he had done, she said.

“He is ashamed of his actions, he is extremely sorry and appalled at what he has done.

“He realises there is no excuse for having these images on his computer.
“He fully realises that his behaviour in fact perpetuates the abuse of children.

“He is agoraphobic and suffers from depression, coming from quite a troubled and very sad background.
“He is someone who needs and wants help, he wants to change.”

Judge Beddard ordered a concurrent three-month sentence for each offence, plus the forfeiture of the indecent images and the computer.

Hart’s prison licence will be extended to two years so that he can receive help from the probation service and he will stay on the Sex Offenders Register for seven years.