It’s the end of the line for a Gwent man who downloaded indecent images of children on his mobile phone sent by someone he befriended on a gay chat line.
Police found dozens of crude pictures on Andrew Marsh’s phone, Cardiff Crown Court heard.
Marsh, who is 49, from Newport, admitted 11 counts of possessing the images on his mobile phone and was given community service and told to register as a sex offender.
Prosecutor John Probert said police raided Marsh’s house after he left a message on a gay chat line that he sexually abused a boy - a claim never substantiated.
Police officers found 56 pictures on his phone, one level five, which includes sadistic images, 13 level four and the rest were a combination of levels one, two and three.
In interview, he admitted it was his mobile phone and no-one else had access to it.
Marsh, who has no previous convictions or cautions, told police the images were sent to him by a man he met on the gay sex line and he didn’t have any interest in them, but used to click through them.
Sentencing him, Recorder David Aubrey imposed a three year community order and a three year supervision order, saying: “If you come back before me, you will not get another chance, you will go to custody.”
Marsh was ordered to register as a sex offender for five years, banned from working with children under 18 indefinitely and cannot have unsupervised contact with anyone under 18 unless they have a parent or guardian with them.
His mobile phone was confiscated and will be destroyed.