'High risk' paedophile found with thousands of child sex images after sending explicit video to undercover cop

Gavin Thornton, 44, had a large collection of child abuse photos and videos, featuring children as young as four, on a laptop and phone.

He was caught after speaking to an undercover police officer on a photo sharing website used by perverts to share such images.

Thornton also sent the undercover officer an explicit video of a child.

Police found more than 7,000 indecent images, including hundreds of the worst kind, on his devices after visiting his Hartlepool home in 2022.

Thornton was put on the sex offenders’ register and given a 10-year protection order after he appeared in court for similar offences following a vigilante group sting.

But, during a surprise check at his home by police in February, he had an undeclared smartphone with various social media aliases that he had also not told police about.

Thirteen further indecent images were also found on the phone.

Thornton, of Cameron Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children, one of distributing an indecent image, breach of a sexual harm prevention order and failure to comply with notification requirements.

Nigel Soppitt, defending, appealed to the judge allow him to receive treatment in the community.

"He’s a man who wants to avoid this compulsion he has,” said Mr Soppitt.

But sentencing Thornton to 32 months in prison, Judge Jonathan Carroll said: “It’s clear to me that you are of a level of risk that cannot be safely managed in the community.”