A PERVERT who downloaded indecent images of children had also been taking pictures of youngsters from his

home.

Bolton Crown Court heard how, when police raided Mark Cunliffe’s home on July 12, 2018, he became agitated and refused to stop trying to access his mobile phone.

Roger Brown, prosecuting, said 33-year-old Cunliffe let officers into the property but he appeared “exceptionally nervous” and volatile.

“He refused to sit down,” said Mr Brown, who added that he asked his partner to bring his mobile phone and, shielding it from police, tried to open it.

“Despite numerous requests he refused to stop trying to use the phone.”

The phone, a PC and a Google Chrome device were seized and, when examined, 167 of the most serious category A images and videos of children were found, along with 26 in category B and 46 in category C as well as 76 images of extreme bestiality.

Mr Brown said that there were also 3,104 films indicative of Cunliffe having a sexual interest in children, including 1,277 pictures of youngsters in school uniform.

“Several were described as voyeuristic including upskirting photographs and there were also 11 recordings taken by the defendant on video, taken from the defendant’s home address, showing primary school age girls,” said Mr Brown.

Cunliffe pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing indecent images and possessing extreme pornographic images.

Martin Pizzey, defending, told Judge Graeme Smith that Cunliffe, of Leigh Road, Hindley Green, had been trying to call his mother when he refused to hand over the phone and has since been sentenced to a conditional for obstructing police.

He added that the father-of-three had suffered abuse himself as a child, has lived in “abject fear” for the last three years since his arrest and has not offended again.

After reading probation reports about Cunliffe, Judge Smith agreed that he could be managed in the community and sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Cunliffe was electronically tagged, made subject to an 8pm to 7am curfew and must participate in 35 days of rehabilitation activities.

He was also made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders; register for 10 years.