Pervert took photos of youngsters playing in the park and traded child-abuse images online

Simon Proctor was caught after his IP address was flagged up to police after he sent images on June 29 last year. Officers went to his home on Park Green in Normanton, Wakefield, the next day and seized his internet devices.

The 48-year-old accepted he had sent images, but claimed he had no sexual interest in children. In total, more than 1,380 category A files – the most serious – were found. Of them, 780 were videos. They included children as young as one being abused, Leeds Crown Court was told.

In addition, there were more than 760 category B and 2,259 category C. They were stored into documents dating back to June of 2009, meaning he had been downloading images for more than 13 years.

Forensic analysis found that he had actively searched for illegal material, typing in terms such as “rape”, “incest” and “baby boy”. Messages he sent to others accompanying the hundreds of images he shared included him saying he “dreamt of gay boys”.

There were also five extreme pornographic images and almost 200 prohibited images of children found. Prosecutor Felicity Hemlin said photos were found of children playing in park that he had taken.

Proctor, who has no previous convictions, admitted two counts of distributing indecent images, three of possession of indecent images, one of possessing extreme pornographic images and one of possessing prohibited images of children. He was not represented in court by a barrister, and said nothing to the court.

Recorder Paul Reid gave him a three-year community order and warned him that he was not going to prison because he only sent category B and C images, and that he he made no attempt to meet a child.

He told him: “You denied any sexual interest in children and the Crown do not accept that, understandably. You have not committed any contact offence with any child and had you have done so you would have gone straight to prison.”

He was put on the sex offender register and given a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) indefinitely. He must carry out 75 yours of unpaid work, enrol in a sex offender programme and given 55 rehabilitation days.