David McKay, 38, was visited by police at his home address in June last year, Preston Crown Court heard, where officers seized a mobile phone and an iPad.

McKay was arrested and interviewed and told police he was using an app for gaming and had accessed a link within the app which had taken him to the images.

He was released, but police later discovered that the explanation was a lie after they found 168 category A images (images of the worst kind) on his device, as well as 104 category B images, 387 category C images and one prohibited image.

He was re-arrested and interviewed in January where he was charged with three counts of making indecent images and one of possessing a prohibited image.

Recorder Daniel Prowse said: “The reality of the situation is that each one of those children is a real child and each one is being sexually abused and has been harmed physically and psychologically.

“There were children in those images between the ages of nine and 13 years of age, some, in number, of a much younger age.

“You have limited irrelevant previous convictions so I will treat you as a man of good character.

“However, you had not been open and frank about your interests in children, but you had been open and frank about your willingness to work with probation.”

McKay, of Bacup Road, Rossendale, was handed nine months in prison suspended for 18 months, told to complete an accredited sex offender programme, and carry out 150 hours of unpaid work.

He was also made subject to notification requirements for 10 years and a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.