A bus driver and wedding photographer who downloaded vile film clips of young children being abused and sex with animals has been jailed for 16 months.

Father-of-two Phil Davidson used search terms such as “baby rape” and “kiddy rape’’ to obtain the material.

He amassed a collection of 527 movies featuring children as young as 18 months suffering serious sex acts, involving bondage and even a dog.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the clips at the most serious level would take three-and-a-half days to view.

Davidson, of Keating Close, Rochester, bizarrely claimed it gave him relief from depression by seeing “worse pain” inflicted in the images.

Judge Adele Williams told the married 39-year-old, who admitted possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornography, that the offences were so serious imprisonment was inevitable.

“Those who commit offences such as these do not take account of the fact there are real children being subjected to real abuse in these images,” she said.

“While there are those such as you who are prepared to possess such images this dreadful practice will continue to exist.

“Your offending is very serious because of the number of images and because of their extreme nature.

“The search terms you were using can leave no doubt about the sort of images you were seeking. Some of them were babies.”

Davidson, now said to be going through divorce proceedings and living alone in a one-bedroom flat, wept in the dock.

He at first denied being responsible for downloading the indecent images when police raided his home on December 19 last year. His wife and children were present.

But prosecutor Ben Irwin said the sordid material was found on Davidson’s laptops.

“It was of an extremely graphic nature of sexual abuse of very young children,” he said.

“One movie involved a dog and in a category B image the victim was aged between 18 months and two years.

“Your offending is very serious because of the number of images and because of their extreme nature" - Judge Adele Williams

“Search terms used highlights the defendant has deliberately and systematically sought out the most extreme forms of sexual abuse of very young children.”

Davidson was said to have developed a fear of cancer and his wife was diagnosed with a rare illness which decompressed the skull and spine.

Dee Connolly, defending, said Davidson’s life was now “in tatters”, having lost his job, marriage and good character.

“He is very much isolated and feels great shame and remorse. He stands before you a broken man,” she added.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “There are no excuses for viewing footage of children being sexually abused.

"Children suffered the most horrific abuse to create this despicable material and by accessing it Davidson helped fuel this vile trade.

“To help tackle this growing issue, it is vital that tech companies, government, law enforcement and charities like ours work together to ensure there are fewer opportunities for people to view and share child sexual abuse images online.”

Davidson’s name will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order was made for the same period.

He will be barred indefinitely from working with children and vulnerable adults.