A MAN described as posing a "high risk" to children broke broke down in the dock as he was jailed for possessing a mass of vile images and videos of young children being raped.

Carl Bravey was jailed at Durham Crown Court for downloading the sickening images and films of youngsters being abused.

The 24-year-old cried as he was sent to prison for a total of 21 months and told he will sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Judge Christopher Prince said: “You are currently assessed as posing a high risk of harm to children.

“It is important that people understand that children are the victims when these images are created.

“Children are once again the victim each time a perpetrator looks at them online.

“It is an insult to that person and it is an offence every time they are viewed.”

Prosecuting, Shaun Dryden said police visited Bravey’s then home in Wheatley Hill in June last year.

Officers found seven of the most extreme form of child abuse images, involving children as young as seven. In total, there were 1,337 indecent images and films as well as 548 files featuring extreme pornography.

Bravey, of Shotton Colliery, initially tried to say the material could have been on his PC because of file-sharing software he used and named other people who could have been responsible.

He later changed his mind and pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornography.

The court heard he had said he did not feel sexually aroused by the images but got a thrill from viewing images he knew he should not.

In mitigation, Antony Cornberg said he was a hard-working and polite young man who had a hard time accepting what he had done.

Judge Prince also made Bravey the subject of sexual harm prevention order.

He said: “These are young children. They were clearly in some pain.

“The public is, quite rightly, concerned that persons who commit these offences can go on to commit contact offences."