A JUDGE told a man who passed on indecent images of children that he was “in denial” about his predilection for such material.

Durham Crown Court heard that of 15 images distributed by Ronald Lamb to a fellow social media user, one, featuring a girl aged 10, involved a man performing a sexual act.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said the image was accompanied by Lamb’s comment: “Wish that was me”.

The defendant, who admitted possessing and distributing indecent images of a child, was said to have told a probation officer he has no sexual attraction to children.

Jailing Lamb for 16 months, Judge Christopher Prince said: “That flies completely in contrast with the comment you made on that image.

“Obviously, from that message, you had a sexual attraction and enjoyed the abuse of children.”

Martin Towers, prosecuting, told the court Lamb, of Ravensworth Court, South Hetton, came to Durham Police’s attention after a tip-off by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, in August last year, after an indecent image was uploaded onto a social media account in his name.

Police subsequently checked one of his old mobile phones and found it contained 224 indecent images of children, two featuring moving footage.

Lorraine Mustard, for Lamb, told the court that the defendant, who has always been in full-time work, has suffered recently with health difficulties.

As part of the sentence, Lamb was made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, “until further order”, and must register as a sex offender for ten years.