POLICE investigating the distribution of child pornography ended up arresting two brothers.

Preston Crown Court heard how police executed a warrant at the house in Greenend, Samlesbury, and the door was answered by 26-year-old Jamie Boyes.

Prosecuting, Hanifa Patel said the officers' attention was drawn to a laptop in the kitchen which Boyes was trying to clear information from.

Ms Patel said: “He said he had some knowledge of some indecent images and had visited a certain site that’s possibly known to distribute that stuff.”

The court heard that when Boyes was taken to Greenbank Police Station for questioning, officers continued to search the house in the presence of his younger brother Samuel.

Ms Patel said: “While they did this they were then approached by Samuel Boyes.

“He was taken to private part of the house and said he had been going on a website since 2017 and he had set up a link which he created with the profile Tyler. He also said to the officer he had typed the word ‘paedos’ and from that received links to indecent images of children.”

The court heard that Samuel was arrested and he admitted sharing Samuel 14 class A (the worst abuse pictures), 19 category B and 365 category C images of children, with ‘like-minded’ people online.

A total of 740 prohibited images of children were linked to Jamie.

Ms Patel said: “The police had no idea there were two people in that house committing these offences. Both of these defendants have no previous convictions.”

Samuel, 19, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent images and, possessing a prohibited image of a child and possessing extreme pornography involving animals.

Jamie pleaded guilty to possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornographic images involving animals and dogs.

Defending Samuel, David Lacide said his client’s offending started when he was 16 and he had been groomed by older men requesting that he send them indecent images.

Mr Lacide said: “This offence came at a time when he was conflicted about his sexuality. He couldn’t confide in his parents.

“He was isolated and he has engaged with these chatrooms.”

Mr Lacide said his client had secured at place at Bolton University for September but he was now concerned that had been put in jeopardy.

Mr Lacide, also defending Jamie, said: “All these were anime and Japanese cartoon-type images which are widely available on the internet.”

Samuel was given a three-year community order, with 10 rehabilitation days and told to complete 120 hours' unpaid work. Jamie was given a two-year order, with 40 rehab days.

Both men, of Greenend, Samlesbury, were made subject of a three-year sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Murray said “The horrors such young people have to endure in the making of this material is beyond comprehension, and there is a cycle of abuse... which has repercussions for them.

“If it weren’t for people like you who wanted to watch these images they wouldn’t be made in the first place.”