A PENSIONER has been spared an immediate prison sentence – despite police finding his sickening stash of child sex abuse images.

The court heard how Runcorn paedophile Patrick Horton had possessed some of the depraved collection for around a decade.

The 74-year-old was caught however and charged with possessing indecent images of children (IIOC) and three counts of making IIOC by downloading them.

He also faced counts of possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

The defendant indicated guilty pleas to all charges before the magistrates’ court at a previous hearing, with the case committed to Chester Crown Court for sentence.

The court heard form prosecutor Rosemary Proctor how the vile material was found in January last year.

Following an analysis, law enforcement officials found a total of 1,522 indecent images involving children being sexually abused.

Of these, 92 were graded as category A – the most severe form involving child rape – while 138 were put in category B and 1,292 in category C.

Police also found 20 prohibited images of children, described as being ‘pornographic’ and ‘grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character’.

These are cartoons or any other unreal ‘depictions’ that concentrate on the genitalia of a child or show a sexual act which actively involves a child.

In addition, police discovered 32 extreme pornographic images involving animals, described as ‘explicit, realistic, grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character’.

Judge Simon Berkson remarked that the severity of the offending merited a custodial sentence, but said that he could draw back from making it an immediate one.

Horton, of Bodmin Close in Runcorn, was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years.

He must also complete 60 rehabilitation activity requirement days, abide by an electronically monitored curfew for three months and pay costs to the Crown Prosecution Service of £200.

Moreover, the court ordered that he sign the sex offender register for the next 10 years and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.