A MACHYNLLETH man will sign as a sex offender for 10 years but was spared jail after admitting possession of more than 500 child sexual abuse images - which had been downloaded automatically by his software.

Jonathan Bruford, 58 and of Graig Fach, appeared at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, April 10 after pleading guilty at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court on Friday, March 20.

Prosecutors told Judge Geraint Walters that when arrested in Derby on July 12, 2022, Bruford was immediately compliant with police who attended his address and confiscated electronic items.

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The items recovered had 22 category A still images and 234 moving images, with one inaccessible, while there were 147 moving and still images at category B level – six were inaccessible.

There were 139 category C images.

Judge Walters heard that the defendant told police they would find items of that nature and that he downloaded ‘a lot of pornography and I am not proud of that’.

The court was told that he used software to download porn and if he saw child sexual abuse images he would delete but did not know why some remained.

His statement to police said that he had a ‘predilection to older models’.

Prosecutors added that he had not shared any of the images.

Bruford was given full credit for his early guilty plea and his defence confirmed he had self-referred to the Lucy Faithful Foundation.

He had also not offended since his arrested in 2022.

Judge Walters sentenced him to 12 months for the category A images, six months for category B and three months for category C, all to be served concurrently.

He suspended the sentence for 18 months, reduced from two years, because of the delay since his arrest.

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He was given 20 rehabilitation days and ordered to complete a 30-day Horizon programme.

Judge Walters also ordered the defendant to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and was given a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

He will pay a £187 victim surcharge.