A CHILD sex pervert downloaded indecent images showing the 'gross abuse' of children, some as young as seven years old.

Colin Mills, aged 48, of West Street, Evesham, was convicted of three counts of downloading indecent images of children and one of possessing extreme pornography when he appeared at magistrates court.

The case was committed to Worcester Crown Court on Friday where Mills was sentenced by his honour judge Robert Juckes QC.

Darron Whitehead, prosecuting, said police received information that the user of an email address had downloaded category A images of children, the most serious kind which shows penetrative sexual activity.

Police attended that address and found indecent images of children engaged in sexual activity.

A Nokia phone, a Nokia smart phone and a Packard Bell computer were seized.

The police investigation began in December 29, 2014 and he was arrested on January 6 last year.

In total police found 106 moving and still images at category A, 213 at category B and also category C images with the majority being of girls aged between 13 and 15 but also some including girls aged seven, eight and nine.

Jason Aris, defending, said his client was a man of previous good character and that he was at low risk of reconviction.

He said: “I concede it crosses the custody threshold.”

He asked costs to be kept to a minimum as Mills had lost his job at Co-op as a result of what happened and had debts of £20,000 which he was having 'significant problems' paying off.

"This is only going to make his financial difficulties worse" said Mr Aris.

Judge Juckes said the worst kind of images involved children under the age of one with the ones Mills had downloaded showing pre-pubescent girls.

But he added: “They are still extremely serious. I imagine that when police came knocking it must have been a deeply shocking moment, having to confirm what you have been privately indulging in for a period of two years.

"The reason the court takes this so seriously is because those that download this kind of material are encouraging the people who make it to make it. That is the reason they make it. The making of this sort of material involves the gross abuse of children."

The judge imposed an eight month prison sentence but suspended it for 18 months and ordered Mills to complete 20 days of rehabilitation which will address what drives him to look at indecent material.

The judge said of the rehabilitation requirement: "That is far and away the most likely thing that will cure you of the habit you have developed."

Mills must pay £100 towards the £340 costs requested by the prosecution.

He will have to sign the sex offender's register for 10 years, notifying police of his address and any change of address.

A sexual harm prevention order of indefinite duration was also made which means Mills is prohibiting from having a device capable of accessing the internet without first notifying his offender manager.

Any device must display his search history and must be presented to police on request.

He is prohibited from having any encryption or file wiping software.

Mills must have no unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16.