A paedophile was found with sickening abuse images of children as young as two months old.
Aidan Maughan was found with a stash of indecent images and videos when police carried out a search of his home. Officers seized an Apple Mac computer and found two category A videos, alongside category B and C images after in depth examinations were carried out.
The 32-year-old's iPhone was also seized and found that paedophilic search terms had been used. The images that were discovered dated between 2014 and 2016, and some had been deleted.
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Maughan, of Rowan Drive, South Shields, appeared at Newcastle Crown Court on Tuesday to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images. He had pleaded guilty to the offences.
The court heard that Maughan's offending came to light when police conducted a search of his home and seized an Apple Mac computer and an iPhone. Prosecutor, Michael Bunch, told the court category A, B and C images were discovered, and said the ages of the children depicted ranged from "two months to 15 years old" and that the "majority of children were under 10 years old".
He said: "The images (on the Mac) were accessed between 2014 and 2016 and no search terms were found on that device. His iPhone did have search terms on the device. He was interviewed on two occasions and gave no reply."
Gavin Doig, defending, said Maughan had entered guilty pleas six months before trial and said he was of previous good character. He asked the judge to step back from a custodial sentence and impose a "high-level community order".
The court was told Maughan had initially claimed the images had "inadvertently" ended up on his computer after they had been "maliciously" sent to him. However, Judge Tim Gittins said he "rejects that suggestion".
Sentencing Maughan, Judge Gittins said it was "clear" his iPhone had been used to search for indecent images by using "paedophilic search terms" but added there was a "realistic prospect of rehabilitation" and said Maughan had maintained employment.
Maughan was given an eight month prison sentence, suspended for two years. He must also carry out up to 30 rehabilitation days and will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years. A 10 year sexual harm prevention order was also imposed.
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