A SOUTHAMPTON man was caught with thousands of indecent images of children being abused.

Steven Thomas Scott Sentenced for Child Abuse Images

Steven Thomas Scott, 39, of Chiltern Green, was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for two years, after pleading guilty to charges related to possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Southampton Crown Court heard that Scott had over 5,000 indecent images of children on his hard drives, ranging from category A (the most serious) to category C. He also possessed almost 300 prohibited images of children.

Scott was identified by police during an investigation into users of a file-sharing network. The offences took place between April and December 2019.

Judge Peter Henry described the images as "disturbing and revolting" but acknowledged a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. In addition to the suspended sentence, Scott was ordered to complete a 43-session accredited sexual offender group work program, 60 rehabilitation activity days, and 100 hours of unpaid work within the next 12 months.

Defense attorney Ed Warren argued that Scott had mental health issues.