A PAEDOPHILE who was found to have nearly 200 indecent images of children stored on his computer has been jailed for 18 months.

Ashley Mark Yard, aged 26, of Cocklands, Charminster, appeared at Dorchester Crown Court to be sentenced for 32 charges of either making or distributing indecent images.

Judge Roger Jarvis told Yard: “I have seen some of the images involved and it is plain to me that you have been looking at these images for your own gratification and you are wholly indifferent to the terrible lives which the victims of these sexual acts undergo.

“The other awful thing about these sort of offences is once the images are on the internet they remain there in perpetuity.

“If it were not for people like you who are prepared to look at these images, these children would not be suffering in this way.”

Judge Jarvis imposed a total prison sentence of 18 months for all of the offences, of which Yard will serve half before being released on licence.

Yard will also be placed on the sexual offenders’ register for 10 years and a Sexual Offences Prevention Order was imposed preventing him from contacting anyone under the age of 18 by electronic means for 10 years.

Stuart Ellacott, prosecuting, told the court how Yard’s offending came to light in April 2008 when the defendant’s partner asked her sister to inspect his computer because she thought he was having an affair.

The search unearthed evidence of a conversation with a 15-year-old girl on the instant messaging facility MSN Messenger.

Mr Ellacott said: “There was sexual content in the conversation that had taken place and the information was passed to police.”

He said on April 12, 2008, police attended Yard’s address and seized his computer.

Examination of the computer revealed 193 still images and movies depicting child porn, which were graded between one and five with five being the most serious.

Mr Ellacott said there were 117 still images at level one, 13 images at level two, eight at level three, seven of grade four and a further five grade five images.

The 43 movies broke down into three grade one movies, nine level two, two level three, 11 level four and 18 of the most serious grade five.

The police investigation also uncovered evidence that six of the images, ranging between level one and level five, were sent on to other people.

Anne Brown, mitigating, said Yard admitted the offences even before police had examined his computer and had been fully co-operative during the investigation process.

She said her client had been under considerable strain since his offending came to light more than two years ago but his partner, with whom he had an 18-month old daughter, remained supportive of him.

Ms Brown added: “This is a man who admits he had a problem and needs assistance with it.”