A MAN caught with indecent sexual images of children and animals tried to blame his offending on his diabetes.

Barry Simper said his medical condition caused him to be impotent with his wife but meant he still had “sexual desires”.

The 77-year-old was sentenced at Bournemouth Crown Court after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Prosecutor Robert Griffiths said in February 2022 intel was passed to Dorset Police that indecent images had bene uploaded to the internet in December 2021.

Officers traced the users email to Simper’s home address in Wimborne Minster.

The defendant was found with 660 images of extreme pornographic bestiality, 90 category C images of children, seven category B and 29 category A.

The images ranged over three years and included pictures of children as young as six years old.

Simper told police he did not deny looking at "this stuff” but that he had got rid of it.

“He became very emotional and said he was ashamed and regretted what he had done,” said Mr Griffiths.

Simper was reportedly very praising of his wife who has been supporting him throughout his criminal charges.

Mitigating, Michael McGhie, told the court that the defendant has two adult sons and young grandchildren.

“He feels enormous shame and his reputation is in tatters,” said Mr McGhie.

Judge Robert Pawson said: “It cannot have escaped your attention or your realisation that if people like you did not download pictures of children, like this case, then there would not be people out taking pictures of children being raped by adults.”

He added: “Those images will haunt those children for the rest of their lives because in today’s world you cannot put the genie back in the bottle.”

Judge Pawson said Simper’s defence of not knowing the children were under 16 years old was “absolute poppycock.”

“You and I both know as clear as the nose on my face that those children in the images were children.”

Simper was handed an eight-year sentence suspended for two years, along with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days and a £5,000 fine.

Judge Pawson added: “The reason I am suspending is not out of mercy for you.

“Undoubtedly it is in the public interest you are rehabilitated first and foremost.”

The defendant was given a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders register, both for ten years.