A PERVERT who downloaded child porn videos from the internet is behind bars tonight.

When police raided the home of Paul Reast, 44, they found 196 indecent images and 110 video clips on his computer, York Crown Court heard.

Some of the videos were "level five" - the most offensive category possible.

In court, Reast, himself said to be a victim of child abuse, pleaded guilty to 18 offences of making indecent photographs of children, and one charge of possessing the images.

James Robinson, prosecuting, told the court that a hi-tech police crime unit discovered an account called "Hound Dog" on an internet file-sharing network.

They traced the account, which had been used to download indecent material, to Reast's home address, where officers seized a computer and a number of DVDs.

The computer's hard drive was found to contain images and videos, some dating from 2000, of children under the age of 16.

Mr Robinson said ten of the videos found were rated "level five". That category, the most serious, includes bestiality and sadism.

Five DVDs, playable on standard home equipment, were also found to contain edited indecent video clips.

Reast, who lives with his wife in Manor Farm Close, Carlton, near Selby, was interviewed after the police raid. He claimed the images appeared on his computer screen, and he did not realise he had created the DVDs.

John Boumphrey, mitigating, said Reast had suffered abuse as a child, and had tried to commit suicide a number of times.

Mr Boumphrey said: "There is information on his computer from 2000 to 2004, but despite that period of time there is a small number of images."

The Honorary Recorder of York, Judge Paul Hoffman, told Reast: "I have to take into account the fact that you are an abused and vulnerable person yourself."

But he said: "You made five separate DVD discs, and your explanation for that is beyond belief. These were designed for playing to other people.

"The risk you present in the future is low but quantifiable, and there must be an element of custody."

Reast was sentenced to 12 months in jail and three years on licence to attend a sex offender programme. His name will appear on the Sex Offenders' Register for the rest of his life.

The indecent material was not shown in court, because the police officer responsible for the case was unavailable.

The judge said: "I have seen enough of these cases to be able to do justice from the descriptions. But the officer - rest day or no - should have been here to produce the material."

He ordered the officer and his superior to appear before him on May 23 to explain.

Updated: 10:26 Friday, May 06, 2005