Sunderland loner caught with hundreds of child abuse images

Police found a total of 713 illegal pictures and movies on eight of Lee Brown's computer devices, which were seized from his home in Penshaw, Sunderland, in June 2019.

Prosecutor Omar Ahmad told Newcastle Crown Court: "The age ranges of those depicted in the images are between eight years and 16 years of age."

Mr Ahmad said there was also an extreme pornography image found, which featured a female aged between 16 to 20 engaged in a sex act with a dog.

Brown, 36, of Amalfi Tower Sunderland, admitted making 186 category A images, which is the most serious type, 73 category B and 454 category C.

He also admitted possessing an extreme pornography video.

The court heard the images had been downloaded over a six year period between 2013 and 2019.

Judge Christopher Prince said Brown, who has never been in trouble before, has suffered "reclusiveness and anxiousness" and is capable of rehabilitation.

Judge Prince told him: "I consider, in your case, the best prospect of long term rehabilitation and public protection comes from the sentence I will impose."

Brown was sentenced to a three year community order with rehabilitation and programme requirements.

He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for five years and pay £425 costs.

Christopher Knox, defending, said Brown is a "hard working, respectable, otherwise decent man" who had been working "odd hours" and spending time on his own.