A PERVERT who was caught with more than 15,000 child porn images on his computer yesterday avoided jail.

New Zealander Ian Hawkins, 46, had the images on his computer at his Cinderford home, Gloucester Crown Court heard.

But almost all the images were at level one, the least serious category, said prosecutor Martin Lanchester.

Hawkins, of Church Road, Cinderford, admitted 10 charges of making indecent photographs of a child and one of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

Judge Martin Picton sentence him to two years supervision and ordered him to attend the Thames Valley Sex Offender programme.

Hawkins was also made subject to a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from being in the company of or living in a house where there were children aged 17 or under.

The order also forbids him from having computer equipment without informing the police.

Mr Lanchester said police went to Hawkins's home as a result of his credit card being used to access child porn.

He was found to have 15,600 images, mostly of level one but with about 200 at levels two, three and four and there were two pictures at the most serious level five.

one word x-head

There was also a large amount of legal adult porn, said Mr Lanchester.

The court heard Hawkins, who was of previous good character, was full and frank in his admissions.

He said he had been accessing child porn 'for a number of years'.

Lloyd Jenkins, defending, said: "He knows what he was doing was wrong. The possibility of him re-offending is minute."

Mr Jenkins asked that not all Hawkins's computer and film equipment was confiscated and destroyed.

"He says there is some sentimental footage of his family in New Zealand, his mother playing the piano and that sort of thing."

Judge Picton said Hawkins could keep those items after the police had satisfied themselves there was nothing suspect on them. He gave the Crown Prosecution Service 28 days to check the material.

Mr Jenkins said he conceded that Hawkins's offences were 'disturbing' but said because the images were mainly level one there was no need for a prison term.

Judge Picton agreed, pointing out that the Government's Sentencing Guidelines Council suggested a non-custodial community sentence in such cases.

Ordering Hawkins to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for the next five years, the judge said: "Although there are a vast number of images, the vast majority are at the lowest level. They are nevertheless very distasteful and damaging to the children shown."