Police who received information that an indecent photograph had been uploaded to an internet chat room identified Deeside man Simon Mark Wright as the user.

They executed a search warrant at his home address, seized a laptop, hard drive and mobile phone and found indecent images and videos, including some of the worst kind imaginable.

A court heard that there was a movie of the raope of a girl aged eight. There was also a film of the torture and rape of a four year old.

But Wright, 43, a man of good character from Deiniol’s Road in Mancot, was given the chance of a suspended prison sentence when he appeared at Mold Crown Court yesterday.

He admitted making by downloading two films at the most serious category A, five at category B and 266 at category C.

Wright admitted possessing 195 prohibited images and three extreme images involving sex between humans and animals between September 2016 and September last year.

Judge Niclas Parry imposed a 14 month prison sentence suspended for two years and placed Wright on 60 days rehabilitation.

Wright must register with the police as a sex offender for 10 years and a 10-year sexual harm prevention order was made to curb his future internet activities.

He was ordered to pay £340 prosecution costs. 

Judge Parry told him some of the images that he made were among the worst imaginable.

They were few but they were serious – and included a moving image of the rape of a girl of eight.

There was a film of the torture and rape of a four-year-old and images of other children suffering.

“This was real life. It was happening to those children,” Judge Parry said.

Children were being abused for the sexual gratification of adults.

The psychological trauma to children in such circumstances was immeasurable, the judge said.

Wright, said Judge Parry, had not been satisfied by viewing adult porn and progressed to joining chat rooms.

He admitted that he looked at anything that would satisfy his sexual needs.

The case had a 12 month starting point with a range of up to three years, he warned.

He took into account the age and vulnerability of some of the children involved and the discernible distress suffered by one child.

Only a custodial sentence was justified, but he made immediate admissions of guilt and was clearly remorseful.

The defendant had no previous convictions, had led an industrious life and he was in full-time employment.

Crucially, the number of very serious images was very small and Wright had already sought assistance on a voluntary basis.

The judge said the public and young children in particular would be better protected by the sentence being suspended and his issues being tackled.

Barrister Ryan Rothwell, prosecuting, said that in August police received information that an user of an internet chat room had uploaded an indecent image of a child.

The IP address was Wright’s and police executed a search warrant at his home on October 1.

Search terms showed his interest in children and when interviewed, he made full admissions.

Defence barrister Dafydd Roberts said his client had admitted from the outset what he had done. He had already started to address his problems.