Father-of-two downloaded more than 150,000 child abuse images

Paedophile Wayne Davenport used search terms including '10-year-old Nicole' while looking for pictures online.

A paedophile attempted to hide his face as he left court after being found to have downloaded more than 150,000 pictures and videos of child abuse.

Married father-of-two Wayne Davenport, 52, had almost 1,000 photographs which fell into the worst category and had used search terms such as ’10-year-old Nicole’ to seek out child abuse online.

Derby Crown Court heard that six separate hard drives were taken during a search of Davenport’s home, with one containing ‘a significant number of images of children’.

Davenport stayed inside the court building for more than an hour after his appearance before coming out with a bag over his head and shielded by an umbrella to avoid photographers.

Prosecutor Abigail Hill said Davenport’s home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, was raided at 7am on 28 November last year.

She said: ‘At 7.05am he was arrested and taken into custody. His property was then searched and computers were seized.’

In total, 921 child abuse images – including 145 videos – of the most serious category A were discovered, 660 category B and an astounding 150,055 category C, of which 139 were videos.

Mrs Hill told the court: ‘In interview, [Davenport] admitted the offences fully saying he downloaded the images, sometimes saving them, then deleting them using a program.

‘He said he had a problem and wanted to go to court and get help.’

Davenport pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Philip Vollans, for Davenport, said his client has been diagnosed with Myeloma – blood cancer – which he said terminal and that he is currently going through bouts of chemotherapy.

He urged Judge Ebrahim Mooncey to spare the defendant an immediate prison term because of his condition and because he is also undergoing clinical trials at the University of Sheffield to help medical science.

Mr Vollans said: ‘Mr Davenport has already referred himself to the Lucy Faithful Foundation (a non-profit organisation that works to stop child abuse) and is taking steps to address his offending.’

Judge Mooncey adjourned sentencing until 14 November pending the outcome of Davenport’s next bout of chemotherapy.

A spokesman for the NSPCC said: ‘In each of the sickening images and videos that Davenport downloaded, children are being subjected to unimaginable abuse – the effects of which can last into adulthood.

‘By searching for and downloading such disgusting material, Davenport has only fuelled the demand for an industry that trades on the pain and suffering of vulnerable children.

‘The NSPCC is calling on tech giants and law enforcement agencies to rid the web of indecent images.’