A perverted ex-soldier was found with sickening sexual images of vulnerable girls aged as young as four and six.

Former soldier jailed for possessing and distributing child abuse images

A former soldier has been jailed for two years after being found with sickening sexual images of young girls, some as young as four and six. Matthew Harrison, 32, admitted to possessing and distributing indecent images of children over a five-year period.

Hull Crown Court heard that Harrison, of Station Road, Howden, had struggled to adjust to civilian life after leaving the Army, turning to drink and drugs.

Police searched Harrison's home on January 9 and seized his phone, which contained 64 accessible files including 8 images and 3 videos in the most serious category, Category A. There were also 10 images and 9 videos in Category B and 28 images and 2 videos in Category C.

Recorder Richard Thyne told Harrison: "The most serious Category A images included girls aged four to six years old being forced to have sex with an adult male. You didn't only search for and access those images, you shared those images with others online. Evidence was found of the distribution of three Category A images, including two videos."

Harrison initially denied the charges but later admitted to them. Recorder Thyne highlighted the young age of the victims and the length of time over which the offenses occurred.

Charlotte Baines, mitigating for Harrison, argued that the images were on only one device and that Harrison had expressed genuine shame and remorse. She also pointed to his struggles with alcohol and drug abuse following his departure from the Army.

Harrison was sentenced to two years in prison and given a ten-year sexual harm prevention order. He must also register as a sex offender for ten years.