A FORMER trainee teacher will never teach after police found images of babies and children being abused on his mobile phone.

Simon Stanney, 27, had 257 sexual images of youngsters the youngest of whom appeared to be three-months-old, Jessica Lister, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

“A significant number of these images depicted children under the age of eight engaged in sexual activity with adults,” she said.

Stanney’s solicitor advocate James McGowan said he had been suffering from depression and difficulties in his personal life at the time.

Judge Simon Hickey told Stanney: “It is of some note, and a worry to the court, you were trying to train as a teacher. Certainly now you will almost inevitably never teach children - and rightly so.”

Stanney, of Vavasour Court, Copmanthorpe, pleaded guilty to eight charges of having indecent images of children.

He was given a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for two years on condition he did a 34-session sex offender treatment programme and five days’ rehabilitative activities.

He was also put on the sex offenders’ register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order including police monitoring of his use of the internet. Both orders last for 10 years.

He will also be put on a list of those debarred from working with children, the court heard.

Miss Lister said police executed a warrant at Stanney’s home after a tip-off from the national Child Exploitation and On-line Protection squad.

They found 107 images of the most serious category of child sexual images, 80 of the middle category and 70 of the least serious category. The children involved from three months old to 14 years and some were clearly in pain.

The images were dated between October 2015 and August 2016.

Stanney’s internet search terms indicated he had been a teacher trainee and was considering becoming one again.

Mr McGowan said Stanney had dreamt of being a teacher, but was drifting. He had been sacked from his latest job at a restaurant when he told them about his arrest.

He had been taking steps to stop himself looking at illegal images in future and had sought counselling and help with his mental health difficulties.