A SWANSEA Valley man caught downloading indecent images of children told police he had been viewing child pornography for 10 years.

Andrew Wilton, 52, also told police he thought he had an unbeatable method of looking at images of children being abused without being caught.

But experts who examined his Acer computer found he had been viewing 35 indecent images in the most serious category A, 64 in category B and 278 in category C.

Wilton, of Maes y Cribarth, Abercrave, admitted possessing indecent images.

Brian Simpson, prosecuting, told Swansea crown court how police executed a search warrant at his address on May 8 last year and confiscated his computer for examination.

He immediately told them they would find child pornography and that he had had an interest in the subject for 10 years.

Wilton also said he had been joining chat rooms and getting in touch with like-minded people who sent him images.

His barrister, Robin Rouch, said Wilton appreciated he had a problem and had already completed a course run by the Lucy Faithful Foundation to address his issues.

Judge Keith Thomas said probation officers who had prepared a report on Wilton felt that more “in depth” work needed to be done.

Judge Thomas told Wilton that the images, some depicting adults having sex with children as young as five, were of real children being abused for real.

“People like you encourage that sort of behaviour,” he added.

Judge Thomas said Wilton deserved a prison sentence but that would not allow for enough time to deal with problems he had.

Wilton was made the subject of a three-year community order, during which he must enrol in a sex offenders’ work programme. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years and ordered to register with the police as a sex offender for five years.

Wilton was also told to pay £535 in prosecution costs.