A PAEDOPHILE had a collection of hundreds of images of children being sexually abused.

Anthony Dolan was found to be in possession of the depraved images, which had been collected over the best part of two decades.

But the 40-year-old, of Runcorn, was rumbled with the material and charged with possessing indecent images of children, as well as three counts of making indecent images of children by downloading them.

He pleaded guilty to each offence at a previous hearing, with the case adjourned until recently for sentence at Chester Crown Court.

The defendant also admitted a charge of possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals.

The court heard how the authorities found that Dolan was found in Runcorn with 405 images and videos of children being sexually abused, explained Derek Jones, prosecuting.

Of these, 85 were graded category A – the most severe category involving child rape – while 64 were category B and 256 were category C.

Officers also found that Dolan also had an extreme pornographic image involving an animal, with all images collected between 2005 and 2024.

Recorder Eric Lamb deemed the offences serious enough to merit a custodial sentence, but he did not make the term of imprisonment an immediate one.

Dolan, of Navigation Close in Runcorn, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, but suspended for the next two years.

During this period, he must also undertake 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days and complete 100 hours of unpaid work.

In addition, the court ordered him to sign the sex offender register for the next 10 years and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

The court also approved a prosecution order to deprive the defendant of his computer.