A MAN who downloaded more than 20,000 indecent images of children from the internet walked free from court "by a short hair".

James Simpson shared some of his sick pictures with other perverts in online chat rooms, Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday (Monday, April 20).

The 22-year-old was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and ordered to go on a sex offender treatment programme.

He was also given 150 hours of unpaid community work, and will be subject to probation supervision for the next two years.

The court heard how police went to his home in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, in February last year after a tip-off.

Acting on information from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, officers seized a lap-top, iPhone and iPad.

Prosecutor Paul Newcombe said they found thousands of pictures and videos which the former theme park worker had searched for.

Simpson told police he had shared some of the images, and officers discovered that he had distributed more than 200.

Jonathan Walker, mitigating, said Simpson had been sent pictures of people which got younger and younger, and became obsessed.

He described his client as a "late developer" and said: "This evil fixation seems to have occurred around the time others of his age were moving on and growing families."

Mr Walker added: "He was not in any way aware of the long-term effects and ramifications his actions, sat in a bedroom in Northallerton, could have on people-trafficking and the sort of horrific abuse that takes place directly as a result of this criminality."

Simpson, of Ashlands Road, will also have his internet use restricted, and have to be on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Judge Peter Bowers told him: "Every pornographic image of a child on the internet represents a life that has been ruined, damaged and exploited.

"That child will have psychological baggage which they may carry for the rest of their lives.

"By simply viewing them, the viewer feeds this dreadful exploitation of these vulnerable kids. It is worldwide, that's the reason we take a strong view."

He added: "It is quite clear you became obsessed, and addicted almost, of viewing children in these circumstances, and it snowballed.

"Probation are of the strong opinion you undertake the sex offender treatment programme to gain an insight into your offending, and also that the public can be reassured you are not a risk.

"I think, by a very short hair, I am prepared to suspend the sentence."