A DAD who downloaded almost 5,000 indecent images of children will not go to jail.

John Allen, 65, of Townfields, Knutsford, was also found in possession of one extreme image featuring animals and children.

Warrington Crown Court heard on Thursday how the pictures of young teenage girls had been saved in folders on Allen’s computer.

The defendant, who has a 10-year-old son, used search criteria such as ‘Japanese girls’, ‘under fives’, ‘young’ and ‘little girls’.

Police raided his home on August 25 after being passed on information he was accessing the illegal material.

He was on holiday but was arrested on September 1.

Prosecuting, Michael Whitty said he was found in possession of 4,970 indecent images of children.

Five were found at level five – the most serious – while there were also 201 level four photos.

“At first he denied getting the images, then he said during his second interview he did get some excitement from them, and had searched for them,” said Mr Whitty.

The court heard it was a ‘real possibility’ he had considered physically abusing children himself.

Allen has a previous conviction for exposing himself to two teenage girls in 1983.

He pleaded guilty to 10 counts of possession of indecent images of children, and one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image.

Gareth Roberts, representing Allen, said: “He now feels that he is a different person, the sort of person who wants to be a father.”

Judge Nicholas Woodward ordered the paedophile to undergo the Northumbria Sex Offenders programme.

He was also given a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, for possession of indecent images of children, and four months, suspended for two years, for possession of extreme pornography, to run concurrently.

Allen was banned from working with children for life, while he will also sign the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years.

Judge Woodward said the sex offenders programme would serve public safety better than a short prison term.

“It’s clear from the evidence in this case you have been using the internet avidly,” said Judge Woodward.

“You had stored many of these images deliberately and had actively searched for them.

“This has been a long-standing interest in teenage girls.”