Oliver Vause 28

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A YOUNG man had an "appalling addiction" for viewing indecent images of children, a court heard.

A judge told "immature and naive" Oliver Vause, 20, that he needed to grow up.

Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC told Vause: "Maybe now you know how desperately serious this is. Behind every one of these films and stills is some poor child being abused.

"These children are being abused only because there are people like you who want, and-or pay, and-or share these images.

"It must stop or you will be going to prison for a long time."

But the judge said a deterrent sentence could not be given in every case.

He added: "Everybody has spoken extremely highly of you. The probation service has rightly identified the public will be better protected in the long term if you can be helped, rehabilitated, and weaned off this appalling addiction that you have."

Prosecutor Richard Walters told Bradford Crown Court that Vause, of Midgley Road, Burley-in-Wharfedale, had pleaded guilty before magistrates to 16 charges of possessing hundreds of indecent images, between November 1, 2013, and May 13, 2015.

They included five videos - two at the most serious category A level, two at category B and one at the least serious category C level. Two charges related to category A still images, three stills at category B and four category C stills.

Mr Walters said there were two separate "roll up" charges involving 287 category B still images and 184 category C stills. Vause had also pleaded guilty to one charge of distributing an indecent image. Mr Walters said the Crown accepted it was possible that image had been sent by mistake.

Vause admitted a charge of failing to comply with a notification requirement, as a registered sex offender, by failing to notify police he resided at an address where a child under 18 was living, between February 24 and 26 this year. Mr Walters said the defendant had spent a night at his 18-year-old girlfriend’s address, where her 16-year-old sister was also present.

Mr Walters said it was a technical breach and there was no suggestion anything untoward took place.

The prosecutor said Vause was a man of good character before these offences.

Vause' solicitor, Nick Leadbeater, said the probation report on his client was very good.

Judge Durham Hall sentenced Vause to a three-year community order, with a 60-day rehabilitation activity requirement and supervision. He granted a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years, to monitor the defendant’s use of the internet, and ordered the forfeiture and destruction of computer equipment.

The judge told Vause: "You are only 20, but you know better. You had a nasty habit. It’s got to be stopped and be resolved."