Prosecutor Richard Oakley told Weymouth Magistrates’ Court how Mutton used the Kik instant messaging app to share and access indecent images of children.

He said: “Police received a referral from NCA on January 4 regarding Category C indecent images of a child being uploaded to the internet.

“It was shared on the social media app Kik and this led police to the defendant’s address.

“He was arrested on suspicion of being in possession of indecent images of children. When he was arrested, he said it was in relation to Kik.

“Three mobile phones were seized from the defendant, and he was taken to Weymouth Police Station.”

The seized devices were submitted for examination and two devices had indecent images on them. Investigations uncovered 46 Category B images and eight Category C images of children.

Mr Oakley added some of the examined images depicted children around the age of 13 years old. Another was 15 years old.

He continued: “The defendant was interviewed by police and he confirmed he used the app Kik for two to three years and belonging to a couple of groups

“One of which involves people sharing images of themselves flashing and another uploading porn.

“There were some indecent images of children shared and he clicked on them. He didn’t save them but he had in the past.”

Mutton said ‘he did not have a sexual attraction to children’ and admitted to using adult pornographic websites for his own pleasure.

Mutton, of St James Street in Shaftesbury, had pleaded guilty to possession of Category B and Category C images between November 11, 2020 and May 11, 2021 at a previous court appearance.

Mutton was also deemed in a pre-sentence report to be ‘low level of risk’ from reoffending or harming children.

Magistrates issued Mutton with an 18-month community order, he must undertake 30 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement days and carry out 200 unpaid hours of community work.

Mutton was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for five years and ordered to pay a £95 victim surcharge and court costs of £40.