A MAN caught with around 1,500 images of child pornography on his computer has avoided jail.

Steven Pye, 55, of Coach Road, Baildon, was arrested after police discovered he was uploading pictures online in May, 2016.

On his computer and a memory stick, officers found 159 pictures and videos deemed to be category A, the most serious classification, 203 in category B, and 1,130 in category C.

Prosecutor Dave McKay told Bradford Crown Court that Pye was a “man who enjoys children as young as two being sexually abused.”

In an interview with police in September last year, the defendant was said to admit that he “might need some help for having a sexual interest in children.”

Pye pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children, and one of distributing category C images, all between 2007 and 2016.

Judge Colin Burn said Pye, who had no previous convictions, would be more effectively punished by a three-year community order rather than a two-year suspended sentence.

He was ordered to complete up to 90 days rehabilitation, 150 hours unpaid work, and pay £425 costs. He must register as a sex offender for the next five years.