A KNUTSFORD man has been handed a community order after he admitted downloading hundreds of indecent images of children.

Andrew David Oldham, 54, of Gaskell Rise, Longridge, was appearing at Stockport Magistrates Court on Wednesday (January 13) where he pleaded guilty to two charges, both of which related to making indecent images of a child.

The first charge related to 233 category C images, downloaded between July 22 2017 and June 11 last year, while the other related to a category C video downloaded during the same period.

Oldham had pleaded guilty to both charges at an earlier hearing and was appearing on Wednesday to be sentenced.

Category C is considered the least severe classification of indecent images and can carry a sentence of anywhere between a community order and up to three years in prison.

Oldham was given a community order for the offences and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the next five years.

He was fined £120, as well as having to pay £85 in prosecution costs and a £90 surcharge to victim services.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

This article was edited on March 18, 2021. The original report stated that Mr Oldham had been subjected to a tag and curfew, and that he had been taking photos of children in the local area which is not the case.

Stockport Magistrates’ Court has confirmed that an error was made by the court in its initial report of the hearing, which has subsequently been amended.