A man from Bury who downloaded disturbing sexual images of children has been sentenced.

Thomas Burton, of Topping Fold Road, pleaded guilty to making 12 category A indecent photographs of young children on October 19, 2020.

Category A is the worst type of images of their kind.

Burton was arrested back in January 2021 where the images, which could not be accessed, were found on his iPhone, prosecutor Lisa Boocock told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

The horrifying images showed children being sexually exploited.

Burton, 32, who pleaded guilty before magistrates in September, had no previous convictions.

Defending, Eleanor Myers said the 32-year-old is of “previous good character” and has “stable” employment working night shifts.

He also helps to care for his mother who has health problems.

Addressing Burton in the dock, Judge Maurice Greene told him the victims in the images were “real children being abused somewhere in the world".

He added: “Then these images were uploaded knowing that people like yourself would access them and these are real children that are suffering.”

Judge Greene acknowledged the length of time the case has taken to come to court, with it hanging over Burton’s head while he waited to be sentenced.

He was given a 12-month community order, which included a 15-day rehabilitation and activity requirement course, and was issued with a five-year sexual harm prevention order.