A MAN amassed a large collection of indecent images of children, over a period of more than six years, a court heard.

But Steven David Gray’s interest in children being sexually abused came to light after police searched his home and removed computer equipment in February.

Durham Crown Court heard that the devices were subsequently examined, with a total of 532 indecent images unearthed, stored on two lap-top computers removed from different bedrooms.

Phillip Morley, prosecuting, said the images, both stills and moving, “predominantly” featured female children of all ages, from very young to teens.

He said there were 182 images in the most serious category among the stills, and 42 hours and 15-minutes of footage in that section.

Mr Morley said the police expert estimated there were at least 500 individual victims featured among all the material examined.

When interviewed, Gray made “full admissions”, claiming he used an internet site to search for images of girls in their mid-teens, which were his “preference”.

Mr Morley told the court: “He said he usually viewed them while under the influence of alcohol.

“He said he did save them and, on occasions, did go back and view them again.”

Gray, 46 of Dalton Avenue, Seaham, who is of previous good character, admitted six counts of making indecent images of children and one of possession of such material.

Reading from a Probation Service report, Mr Morley said he accepted the requirement for “rehabilitation”, but was still considered to pose a risk of repeat offending.

Christopher Dunn, mitigating, said there was no evidence that Gray posed a risk of “contact” offences with children.

“Contact offences with children have never been an issue in the offences he has committed.

“They were all to do with downloading of images,” he said.

Mr Dunn said Gray self-referred himself to a rehabilitation service and had sought to “manage it himself”.

Judge Simon Hickey said the offences “clearly cross the custody threshold”, but he noted that Gray did seem to acknowledge his problem which might best be tackled in the community.

He passed a two-year community supervision order, during which Gray must undergo at least 40-days on a rehabilitative activity programme to address his offending.

Gray was also made subject of a sexual harm prevention order, restricting his future use of the internet, while he will have to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for three years.

Judge Hickey also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the two lap-top computers containing the offending images.