Thomas Peter Simmons, 61, from Kingsnorth Gardens in Folkestone has been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to making indecent images of children.

Simmons was charged in August last year with six offences of making indecent images of children, three offences of distributing indecent images of children and one offence of sending obscene communications over a telecommunications network.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Fotheringham from Kent Police's Public Protection Crime Unit said: 'Downloading images of children being subjected to real time abuse is as severe an offence as the real time abuse those children are suffering. 

'These type of offences will be not tolerated and Kent Police will continue to bring offenders before the courts irrespective of their background or standing within the community.'

A warrant was executed at his address in Folkestone during which officers recovered mobile telephones Simmons used to access the images online.

Simmons was found with 47 indecent images of children. Images are ranged between levels 1-5 (levels 1 and 5, level 5 being the most serious depicting sadism or bestiality with children).  He was found with 20 images at level 1, 2 at level 2, 11 at level 3 and 15 at level 4.