A man who for more than six-and-a-half years downloaded thousands of child sex abuse images has been jailed for a year.

Wayne Green subscribed to a "sports tips" website which was a front for distributing the sickening pictures, many of which were at the highest levels of four and five.

A judge at Maidstone Crown Court told the 51-year-old married father, of Hempstead Road, Hempstead: "You thought you would never be caught.

"You sat in the comfort of your own home not once thinking of the misery you indirectly were causing to those children."

The self-employed lift engineer admitted 19 charges of making indecent images of a child.

Of the 5,500 found on his computer, 954 were at level four and 107 at level five.

Paul Fotheringham, head of Kent Police's Public Protection Unit, said: "We will continue to work to stop this horrific crime and bring offenders before the courts."

Green will be required to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years upon release.

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