A CONVICTED paedophile caught with hundreds of child abuse photos has avoided going back to prison.

A judge at Cardiff Crown Court said he thought society would be better served if Adam Watkins, aged 40, from Cwmbran was rehabilitated in the community.

Megan Jones, prosecuting, said Gwent Police raided the home the defendant shared with his mother at 7.40am on the morning of Thursday, September 8, last year.

They found 318 child abuse photos on a laptop, including 74 category A images, the most serious kind, 120 at category B and 124 at category C.

The victims were aged between two and 14.

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The defendant made admissions in his police interview.

Watkins, of Bryn Milwr, Hollybush pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of an indecent photograph of a child after appearing before Newport Magistrates’ Court last month.

Miss Jones told the court that the defendant was jailed for three years in September 2016 after he was convicted of sexual activity with a girl.

Kevin Seal representing Watkins urged the judge to spare him immediate custody as he would be unable to access any rehabilitative treatment if he was locked up.

He added that his client had stayed out of trouble during the more than a year it had taken the police to charge him and bring him to court.

Recorder John Hardy KC told the defendant: “You richly deserve to go to prison but if you did you would be released on license without any intervention or endeavours to reform and rehabilitate you.”

Watkins was jailed for two years but the sentence was suspended for two years so that he could go on a rehabilitation programme for 25 days.

He was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and the defendant must also pay £420 towards the prosecution’s costs as well as a victim surcharge.