A PAEDOPHILE caught with hundreds of child and animal abuse images after a raid at his home admitted to police he had developed “some form of an addiction”.

David Lockley, 30, was caught with 244 total images, including 39 images of children being sexually assaulted and 170 bestiality images.

Lockley, of Rectory Road, Rochford, has no motor functions below his neck and was spared jail yesterday after admitting to police he had an addiction to accessing and looking at vile abuse images online.

Police raided his home on May 17 last year, seized his computer and extensive analysis of his hard drive revealed the huge haul of vile images.

Lockley was handed a sexual harm prevention order to restrict his internet access and ordered to complete a rehabilitation course.

During a sentencing hearing yesterday, Mark Halsey, prosecuting, said: “In an interview the defendant accepted full responsibility and said he had formed some form of addiction.

“Mr Lockley said he had deleted a number of these images and the Crown has asked for forfeiture of items, in particular the tower computer.

“As the tower computer was used for committing these offences it will act as part of Mr Lockley’s punishment.

“It is fair that if the computer was used for improper purposes then it is likely to be forfeit.”

Lockley has no motor functions below his head following an accident when he was 16 that severely damaged his spine.

He admitted three counts of making indecent images or pseudo photographs of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Matthew Keliris-Thomas, mitigating for Lockley, said: “What we see here is a man in a vulnerable and lonely position which has effectively led the dark side of human curiosity to overtake him somewhat.

“Even before police engaged with him, he showed awareness of his error and has shown significant remorse for this.

“He has attended a support group on Thursdays and Saturdays for 20 months to speak about urge control, trauma prevention and consequences.”

Judge Samantha Cohen handed Lockley a six-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, with a ten-day rehabilitation activity requirement and a £500 fine. He was also handed a sexual harm prevention order .