By Staff Reporter

Last updated 10:39, Saturday, 04 October 2008

A Whitehaven man who had 656 “revolting” images of child pornography on his computer has been jailed for 12 months.

Michael Wood, 31, of Nursery Place, Hensingham – caught after his estranged wife and mother found the images on his computer – pleaded guilty to the charges at Whitehaven Magistrates’ Court on September 3.

A total of 656 images were recovered by police, of which 17 were described as being category four – the most serious category – and depicted children being abused by adults.

Three category four films and one category three film were also recovered.

At Carlisle Crown Court  Judge Paul Batty QC said one of the striking features of the case was how young the children involved were, with a baby and children as young as three or four featured in the films.

He said: “Using the internet you accessed revolting child images.

“You must understand that every one of these images and four films represent real sexual abuse of children.”

He sentenced Wood to 12 months in jail for the three category four films, six months in jail for the category three film, nine months for the 17 category four images and three months for the remaining images.

The sentences will run concurrently and Wood was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and remain on it for a period of 10 years.