A JUDGE let a child sex offender walk free – despite saying: "The public will not take kindly to it."

David Littlefair saved and shared indecent images and set up a chat group to speak to other perverts online.

The Darlington man faced up to two years behind bars for his depraved crimes – but dodged prison by "a hair's breadth".

At Teesside Crown Court, Recorder Gurdial Singh, told him: "This is a chance. Let me down and you let yourself down."

The judge added: "This case troubles me. I take the view I can take an exceptional course.

"The guidelines make it clear that for this sort of offending, such is society's disgust and the nature of these images, an immediate custodial sentence is called for.

"I take the view, and it is not a view I take lightly, it would be unjust to follow the guidelines. It's not one a judge would normally make.

"You have come within a hair's breadth of going to prison. Society abhors this sort of behaviour and they will not look kindly upon this sentence. I have given you a chance to cut off this sort of behaviour at its knees."

The court heard that police seized two devices after going to Littlefair's home in Sanderson Street and found 11 photos and videos of children being abused.

Officers discovered that the 36-year-old had shared two of the images – including one in the most serious category.

Prosecutor Jenny Haigh said: "In addition, there were chat-logs which confirmed that the defendant was discussing with like-minded individuals various matters about children.

"Some of them are particularly unpleasant. He encouraged other like-minded people to abuse children. He created the chat group."

When he was quizzed, Littlefair said: "I've been stupid - made things up. I just wanted to belong to that group. I'm disgusted with myself. I no longer want to be part of that world. I tried it and didn't like it."

Littlefair was given an 18-month community order with a sex offender's course, and a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will restrict his use of computers and the internet after he admitted three charges of making indecent images and two of distribution.