Leamington man given community order after police found hundreds of movie clips on his laptop showing children being abused

But a judge decided the public is ‘likely to be better protected’ by Daniel Taylor having to take part in a sexual offender treatment programme than by him being jailed.

Taylor, 26, of St Marys Crescent, had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to three charges of making indecent images of children.

He was given a three-year community order and ordered to take part in a three-year sex offender’s treatment programme, and to do 60 hours of unpaid work.

Recorder Christopher Hotten QC also made Taylor subject to a rehabilitation activity for 30 days and ordered him to register as a sex offender for five years and to pay £600 costs.

Andrew Tucker, defending, said: “He has shown remorse, and he does have insight and understanding into what he’s done. All of that makes him a good candidate for the disposal put forward in the pre-sentence report,”

Sentencing Taylor, Recorder Hotten said: “The seriousness of what you did is that without consumers, there’s no market.

“Everybody who downloads images such as these helps to create a market and provides a reason for children to be abused.

“That is what you have done. Sitting alone in your room, it isolates you from what is going on all to children over the world in appalling circumstances.

“But it seems to me the most important thing is to do what can be done to deter you from behaving in this way in the future.

“Although this clearly passes the custody threshold, the public is likely to be better protected by my not sending you to prison today.”