AN EX-PAEDIATRICIAN attracted to youngsters who combed the internet for indecent images has walked from court with a suspended sentence.

Daniel Alamehmet, 34, started looking at thousands of snaps and videos of abused children as young as five just three months after resigning from his medical post.

The former Oxford medic, who confessed he was sexually attracted to youngsters aged 13 and older, was also caught sharing a 'library' of images with fellow paedophiles.

He came before Judge Zoe Smith for sentence on Thursday, when she lambasted him for his hoard of indecent images depicting young children being tortured.

She handed him a two-year sentence, suspended for two years, adding: "We are dealing here with a vast number of images that you were in possession of."

Alamehmet, who claimed he was not a danger to children, worked at Wolverhampton's West Park Hotel in 2010 before moving to the John Radcliffe Hospital in 2011.

The defendant, of Janaway, Littlemore, went on to work in Milton Keynes in 2012, moving on to Stoke Mandeville Hospital before resigning from the post in September 2013.

Police burst into the sex offender's home, seizing Alamehmet's computer and arresting him on June 28 last year, prosecutor Cathy Olliver said.

He was caught with more than 1,600 snaps and more than 570 videos, while more than 1,300 indecent images were located on a peer-to-peer file sharing network.

The paedophile, who began scouring the internet for the illegal material in December 2013, saved the collection, looking at it 'over and over again', Ms Olliver told the court.

He revealed to interviewing officers he used the file-sharing network twice to gaze at images but claimed he never knowingly distributed the illegal material.

Defence barrister Michelle Clarke said Alamehmet left the NHS because he was 'burnt out', taking a job at a pharmaceutical company which he hated before spiralling into depression and battling issues with his sexuality.

Alamehmet, who attends sex addicts anonymous sessions, was 'surprised' at the number of indecent images he could download and wants to become a mentor for other sex offenders.

The barrister said Alamehmet, who owns online sports injury equipment company Crius Sport, would apologise to victims if he could, adding: "He has made huge steps to come to terms with his sexuality and what he has done."

The 'intelligent' defendant, who had no previous convictions and has been suspended by the General Medical Council, wants to enrol on an adult education course and undertake training to teach mindfulness.

Alamehmet admitted possessing indecent photographs of children for show and three counts of making indecent photographs of children between December 29, 2013, and June 28 last year.

He was also made subject to a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement, a sex offenders treatment programme and a sexual harm prevention order.

The paedophile must sign the sex offenders register for 10 years, pay £750 costs and a victim surcharge.