A porn-obsessed pensioner was found with indecent cartoon images of children on his laptop.
David Armstrong, 74, was already subject to restrictions on his internet use after being jailed previously for illicit images offences.
During a routine check of his compliance, officers found two prohibited cartoon images and an extreme pornography image.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard Armstrong, of Eglinton Street, Sunderland, was jailed in 2011 and 2015 for his deviant interests.
Now he has been given a community order after he admitted possession prohibited images of children and extreme pornography involving a dog.
The court heard police had attended his home to check he was complying with a sexual harm prevention order imposed after one of his previous convictions.
Nicoleta Alistari, prosecuting, said: "He handed over a laptop and accepted there was pornography on it.
"An officer looking through the folders found an example of extreme pornography and showed it to the defendant."
Armstrong replied: "Oh is that illegal? Cartoons are the thing that got me in trouble before."
The court heard he was locked up in 2011 and then got 12 months in 2015 for making pseudo images of a child and having prohibited images.
For the latest offences, Judge Stephen Earl imposed a three-year community order with a six-month curfew and £250 costs. He must also sign the sex offenders register and be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
The judge warned him that if there is any further offending, he will be locked up.
Jamie Adams, defending, said Armstrong had made "considerable efforts to socialise himself and mix with adult company and engage in activities which take him away from this predilection he had for pornography, that's legitimate pornography as well".
Mr Adams said Armstrong is interested in a Japanese form of cartoon pornography that "he regards more as an art form".
