James Mold was in the bank at Shrewsbury The Crown Court was caught with a cache of 176 images, including 58 category A – depicting the most depraved type of child sexual abuse.

The 40-year-old, who “readily admits” his sexual attraction to young boys, was also found to have three extreme pornographic images of a man having sex with a dog.

Judge Anthony Lowe noted that there had recently been more public debate about such offenses after “high-profile” people were involved – possibly referring to the case of BBC newsreader Huw Edwards, who was recently convicted of similar crimes.

He also told Mold that there was “no magic bullet” that would cure him of his sexual interest.

The court was told that the police attended Mold’s home on October 20, 2020 and seized a laptop and two phones. The explicit material was found on the laptop and one of the phones.