A PERVERT who downloaded thousands of indecent images of children, one with a girl as young as two, has avoided an immediate jail sentence.

Police attended the home of Carl Peacock on August 31, 2019, when they seized electronic equipment including a laptop and a computer tower.

Between March 9, 2017, and September 1, 2019, Peacock downloaded 405 Category A images – the worst kind according to police, 254 Category B and 3,039 Category C images, Winchester Crown Court heard on Friday.

Prosecutor Caroline Moonan said: “There was one Category A movie that involved a girl two to three years of age and that was fully accessible to the user of the computer.”

The court was told that on the laptop 333 images were found which were stored as thumbnails and “these thumbnail images had been accessed 47 times”.

Ms Moonan said: “The general age of children was very young, under the age of 10 years, mainly girls and on occasion distress was shown.”

Peacock, of Coniston Road, Basingstoke, was using a programme called TrueGrit was prevented “unauthorised access” to the data.

He previously pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child categories A, B and C.

In mitigation the court was told that Peacock was a victim of abuse and that has led to his offending.

Prior to the sentencing Peacock had resigned from his job to “avoid embarrassment to his employer”. He was previously involved in disaster planning on a national level.

In sentencing, Mr Recorder Adam Feest QC said: “At 57 you have now lost your good character which I know will be difficult for you in terms of future employment.”

He continued: “What you did during 2017, 2018, 2019, as far as these images are concerned are all criminal offences.”

The judge said that Peacock had shown remorse and has taken steps to deal with his offending.

Peacock was handed an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years. He must complete 180 hours unpaid work and 80 rehabilitation days.