A PENSIONER from Marston has been jailed after he was found with almost a thousand indecent images and videos of children on his computer.

Trevor Robinson, of Manor Avenue, was sentenced on Friday at Chester Crown Court, after the court heard how the 78-year-old has an ‘appalling history’ for this type of offence.

Police discovered the 873 indecent category C images and 75 videos during a routine visit to his home, leading to the confiscation of his desktop computer.

The pensioner was also charged with breaking his Sexual Harm Prevention Order after he failed to register the purchase of the computer with Cheshire Police.

During the sentencing, Jade Tufail, prosecuting, revealed how Robinson downloaded the images and videos between January and May last year.

On May 14, he was visited at his home by a police officer as per his Sexual Harm Prevention Order, which he had received by a court for similar offences between 2011 and 2017.

Robinson was said to have been ‘behaving suspiciously’ and acted quickly to put his computer equipment away.

When the officer moved the mouse, they found a paused YouTube video showing a girl of between eight and 10 showing her underwear.

Police then seized the computer, but were told by Robinson that he ‘wasn’t bothered’ as there was ‘nothing on it anyway’.

This proved to be a lie as after examination, police found material showing children as young as five performing innocent activities, but with the camera focused on the thigh and underwear areas.

Sentencing Robinson, the court considered his ‘appalling’ court history, which includes two jail sentences and two community orders for sexual offences.

Ms Tufail revealed the other aggravating factors to be the large quantity of indecent material and the age of the children shown on them.

Sarah Badrawy, defending, offered little in mitigation, adding: “The defendant has a poor history for this type of offence and needs to understand the impact of his offending.

“The only mitigation I can give is his age, his guilty plea at the first opportunity and that the images are of the lowest category.”

In sentencing, Recorder Stephen Riordan said: “This is not the worst case of its kind, but you have an appalling history for this type of offence.

“You came to the attention of the authorities in 2011 and have been found with images of this kind on a regular basis since then.

“You used the images for your own sexual gratification and as a persistent offender, you have a complete reluctance to acknowledge what you have done.”

Robinson was sentenced to two years immediate imprisonment and made to sign the Sex Offenders Register lasting for 10 years.