A PAEDOPHILE caught with more than 50,000 indecent images of children aged as young as eight has been spared jail.

Daryl Walters, from Penketh, amassed the sickening collection of pictures and videos over a period of 10 years.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday, March 31, that Cheshire Police received intelligence that indecent images were being made available over the internet from the 71-year-old’s home on Meeting Lane.

Officers executed a search warrant at the property in May 2018 – seizing his phone, laptop and hard drives during the raid.

Walters was present at the time and arrested, and admitted under interview that he had been viewing such vile materials online on a daily basis for the past decade.

When the seized equipment was analysed by police, a total of 51,189 indecent pictures and videos were found – most of them showing young girls aged between eight and 12.

The pensioner, who was supported by his wife in the public gallery and described as being ‘embarassed, ashamed and remorseful’, admitted possession of indecent images and three counts of making indecent images during an earlier hearing.

Judge Neil Flewitt handed Walters, who has no previous convictions, an 18-month community order with a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.

He was also fined £500 and told to pay £300 in court costs plus a victim surcharge.

Sentencing, judge Flewitt said: “If you didn’t realise it at the time, I hope you realise now that each of those young girls you were looking at on your computer screen was a child that was being sexually abused.

“Children like that are sexually abused in huge numbers because there is a market among people like you who view these images.

“You put it out of your mind at the time, but that is why this is such a serious collection of offences.

“You are a man of previous good character, you have lived a good life and you have always worked hard and been a good husband and a constructive member of the local community.

“It seems to me, in all the circumstances, that it is not necessary for me to send you immediately to prison.”

Walters was subjected to a five-year sexual harm prevention order and a notification requirement lasting the same period.

The forfeiture and destruction of five devices seized by police was also ordered.