A MAN who downloaded a large haul of indecent child images is prepared to address his behaviour, a court was told.

Police seized two hard drives from an address in Stanley, where Stephen Bovingdon was living, on April 12, 2017.

Durham Crown Court heard the images were found in hidden/deleted areas and, therefore, it was not clear when they were downloaded.

Jonathan Walker, prosecuting, said there 1,536 indecent images, 476 in the most serious category, while there were also 162 videos, plus 26 prohibited pseudo-images and 70 extreme pornographic images/videos.

Bovingdon, 53, of Parmeter Street, Stanley, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, plus one each of possessing prohibited images and extreme pornography.

Charles Knowles, mitigating, said Bovingdon, a property manager, is of previous good character. He accepts he has brought shame on himself but is willing to seek whatever help is available.

Judge Jonathan Carroll said in such cases he is prepared to offer offenders “one chance only” and passed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, with 150-hours’ unpaid work, a three-month 8pm to 8am home curfew, while Bovingdon must attend 30 one-to-one sessions to address his offending.

He was also made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and sex offender registration, both for ten years.