Jenny Yeo, prosecuting, said officers recovered indecent images from mobile phones and a laptop.

There were category A films, category B & C pictures 

Mrs Yeo told Cardiff Crown Court one of the category A films showed a young boy and girl aged around 13 engaged in sexual intercourse

Jackson had been due to start a computer studies course at Swansea University but lost his place as a result of his conviction.

The defendant “fully co-operated” with the police and gave them usernames and passwords and admitted “he had viewed the images for sexual gratification and out of curiosity”.

He told detectives he had been added to a Snapchat group where child abuse pictures and films were being exchanged.

Mrs Yeo added: “The distribution matter in this case relates to a picture he was asked to share to a new member to test his trustfulness and this was a category B image.”

Jackson, now of Llangattock, near Crickhowell, Powys, pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of indecent images of children.

He also admitted one charge of distributing an indecent image of a child.

Steven Donoghue, representing the defendant, asked the court to take into account his client’s early guilty pleas, his young age and his lack of any previous convictions.

His barrister added: “The category A images are particularly vile and disgraceful.

“At the end of the day, someone’s child was having to do that in order to produce those images.

“It is a point that is often forgotten by viewers of these sort of things that there were actual children suffering.

“The defendant realises only two well the horror of that situation.”

Mr Donoghue said the defendant had found a job after losing his university place.

Judge David Wynn Morgan sentenced Jackson to a three-year community order.

The defendant must complete 35 sessions of the Horizon sex offender programme, complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.