A MAN was caught by police after he downloaded indecent images of children as young as six months old to his mobile phone.

At Bolton Crown Court Simon Hanna was given a three-year community sentence after he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Andrew Mackintosh, prosecuting, told the court how police had called at Hanna’s home on November 15, 2017 following information that a Samsung mobile had been used in relation to images.

The images had been deleted but the phone was found to have received 19 of the most serious category A images, 19 in category B and 43 category C images.

The pictures were of children and babies.

Judge Graeme Smith was told that 25-year-old Hanna, of Lonsdale Road, Heaton, initially denied committing the offences and claimed to his partner that someone else must have been using an old email address.

But he subsequently admitted his guilt, telling police the images had been sent to him via the Kik messenger app.

“He said he was not a paedophile and was receiving mental health counselling through work in relation to these difficulties,” said Mr Mackintosh.

Stuart Duke, defending said Hanna, who has no previous convictions, has suffered from chronic anxiety and depression for years.

“His family do stand by him and he accepts that he will need to work with professionals for some time,” said Mr Duke

But he stressed that, of his own volition, Hanna has completed a Safer Lives programme, indicating a willingness to learn and change.

As part of his community sentence Hanna was ordered to participate in a sex offender treatment programme and 25 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order of five years.

Judge Smith told Hanna: “Regrettably this court sees people in your condition almost every day of the week. There is an epidemic of child pornography available on the internet.

“Although the vast majority of people who have appeared before this could only receive the images rather than being in any way involved in their creation, nonetheless, in doing so you are contributing to there being a market for the introduction of these vile images.”