A FATHER who had more than 1,000 indecent images of children, some as young as three to four-years-old, has avoided jail.

The 46-year-old from Andover, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in Winchester Crown Court on Thursday, August 16, to be sentenced for possessing 1,122 indecent images, including “movies”, and distributing six indecent photographs.

He also admitted to encouraging an adult to distribute images, and encouraging an adult to engage in sexual activity with a child at an earlier hearing.

The court heard how the defendant spoke with “like-minded men” on the instant messaging application Kik Messenger, encouraging them to take and send photographs.

Prosecuting Daniel Sawyer read aloud conversations between the defendant and other men, talking about children in the pictures and joking about “police bashing the door down”, which he argued showed they knew the legal risks involved.

Mr Sawyer added: “[The defendant] was speaking to a person in real time asking for photos and being sent photos of children being abused, if not at that moment, on a day-to-day basis.

“He’s messaging people and suggesting photos they can take of young boys and then they are abusing them.”

The court heard that the man was arrested on July 25, 2017, after police received intelligence, and along with the conversations found images and movies of children aged between three to four-years-old up to pre-teen.

Defending Nicolas Wragg rejected the notion claiming there was no evidence to prove these men on Kik Messenger had contact with children.

Mr Wragg said: “They can’t prove they are real children, they are fantasy conversations.

“This was not about contact offending, he didn’t believe for one moment anybody had access to a real child.”

Mr Wragg told the court the defendant knew he could be facing a prison sentence but had high motivation to rehabilitate due to his children, and had already begun the process with two organisations.

Judge Susan Evans QC handed the father a 16-month sentence suspended for two-years with various conditions such as a sexual harm prevention order and has been ordered to sign the sex offenders register.

In summary, Judge Evans said: “These children are suffering life changing abuse. You are the market, you are the reason why it happens.

“They suffer serious physical and psychological abuse both as children and adults, it is a long lasting and devastating thing, and you are the reason why it happens.

“I have at the forefront of my mind your children, it is not their fault you have placed yourself in this position, the effect it has on other parties, on two young children, matters.”