A PAEDOPHILE who downloaded indecent videos of children as young as four will have his sentence determined by the crown court, magistrates have ordered.

Last December Paul Luker, of Atwell Close, Wallingford admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

Oxford Magistrates’ Court heard at his sentencing hearing yesterday that the 40-year old had become ‘addicted’ to pornography, ultimately leading him to seek the obscene images.

In a bid to tackle his addiction, the court heard he had confided in a psychiatrist that he had a problem and that he needed help.

When he was told that by admitting he had accessed the illegal videos the police would have to be notified he said he understood and that he ‘did not mind.’

Alerted to the images by his psychiatrist, officers then searched his home address on March 23 last year and seized a Samsung Galaxy tablet and a mobile phone.

After further analysis was carried out, police discoverd he had five videos of the most severe category – A – three videos of category B and one of category C, all found on the tablet.

There was also evidence of software used to delete browsing history, the court heard.

Defending, Kate Macnab said that her client asking for help before police discovered the images made it an ‘unusual case.’

She: “Almost all of these cases come before court because of police arrests and it is often an IP address that alerts them, and this is very, very unusual.

“What has happened to begin this investigation is that Mr Luker has acknowledged that he has a problem with viewing indecent images.”

She added that he has continued to see his psychiatrist and is committed to tackling his addiction.

Magistrates decided they had insufficient powers to appropriately sentence Luker and so the case was sent to Oxford Crown Court.

He will be sentenced at that court on January 25.