A TIDWORTH paedophile who downloaded videos of “sickening” child abuse was told he was “in denial of his sexual interest in children”.

Davey Woodruff, aged 24 and of Forest Drive, downloaded 11 images and four videos depicting the most serious “category A” child abuse.

He was also caught with 22 category B images and 267 in category C, at the lower end of the scale.

Sentencing him to a total of eight months in prison, suspended for two years, Judge Susan Evans said: “These are serious offences.

“These are real children suffering real and horrifying ordeals. They will have been physically and psychologically harmed by what’s happened to them. It’s life-changing abuse.”

Judge Evans took into account Woodruff’s early guilty plea and mental health difficulties when sentencing him.

She said: “For the protection of the public you need to undergo treatment and the only way that’s going to happen is by me suspending the sentence I’m going to impose.”

Woodruff must complete 35 rehabilitation days and a sex offender treatment programme.

Judge Evans said: “If you breach [the conditions] in any way you will find yourself coming back to this court, that eight months will be activated, and you will be going to prison.”

He will be subject to a ten-year sexual harm prevention order and his laptop and phone were confiscated.

An NSPCC regional spokesman said: “Possessing child abuse images is a serious offence and we must never forget that the children in these videos and images are being raped and sexually assaulted to produce this sickening material.

“Woodruff’s crimes have only helped fuel this disgusting trade in images which destroys children’s lives.”

“To help tackle the growing problem of online child abuse imagery, the NSPCC is calling for the introduction of a specialist digital child abuse unit in every police force.”

Any adult worried about a child can call the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline on 0800 1111.