A 78-YEAR-OLD man has pleaded guilty to possessing hundreds of indecent images of children and animals that he also shared with others on social media.

Raymond Cockburn was charged with four counts of possessing and making offensive images and videos of children between 2004 and 2016, as well as one count of distributing indecent pictures.

The pensioner, of Shepherds Court, Gilesgate, Durham, bowed his head as the charges were read out in Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court earlier this week.

Joanne Hesse, prosecuting, said: “The defendant was found in possession of a large number of indecent images – there were some images distributed on a social media platform including category A images.”

She added that his possession of around 485 images was aggravated by the age of the children pictures and the fact that videos were also found on his computer.

Of the hundreds of files found that had been downloaded between August 14 and August 2016, 159 were the most offensive category A images, with 98 category B images and 227 category C images.

An extreme image including animals was also found.

Cockburn was ordered to sign the sex offenders register ahead of his next court appearance for sentencing at Durham Crown Court in September.