A PAEDOPHILE who was caught with more than 13,000 indecent images of children has been handed a two-year community order.

Fergus Casbon-Belson, of Mereland Road, Didcot, admitted four counts of making indecent photographs of a child between June 1, 2012 and May 13, 2015.

He was also made subject to a five-year sexual offences prevention order prohibiting him from using any device to access the Internet unless police software has been installed.

Sentencing at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday, Deputy District Judge Jacobs said Casbon-Belson was a hard-working man but engaged in "repulsive" activity and viewed indecent images featuring children as young as four.

He added: "In your favour is the fact that you made full and early admissions to the police, even before the police had evidence in a proper form to put to you in an interview where many others would have made no comment or told the police to prove it.

"Also in your favour is that you are a man of no previous convictions or cautions and this is the first, and no doubt the last, appearance."

Prosecutor Ann Sawyer-Brandish said officers searched Casbon-Belson's home and found the indecent images on his red HP laptop and Dynamode hard drive.

She said he admitted looking at the images on a "fairly notorious" website for about a year but officers did not find any evidence of him sharing or distributing the material.

Kate Macnab, defending, said Casbon-Belson had been supported by his family after being charged for his offending.

Casbon-Belson, who must sign the sex offenders register, was also made subject to a rehabilitation activity requirement, a 43-day internet sex offenders treatment programme and was ordered to pay £85 costs and a £60 victim surcharge.

The court ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the laptop and hard drive.