A GWENT IT consultant obtained child pornography on the internet which originated in Moscow, a court heard yesterday.

Kevin Higgs, aged 21, of Victoria Road, Bulwark, Chepstow, was jailed for two years by a judge at Cardiff crown court after Higgs admitted six charges of making indecent photographs, three of distributing indecent photographs and one of possessing 3,500 indecent photographs.

Some of the photographs involved children as young as three or four and one involved a boy tied with ropes being abused.

Judge Stephen Hopkins told Higgs, who was said to have no previous convictions: "The images which you clearly found sexually arousing, any right minded person would find them nauseating and distressing. "It's my function to send out a clear message that those who access and distribute this filth will face custodial sentences."

Currently, he said, Higgs was unable or unwilling to grasp the seriousness of his offending.

"You are a sex offender and you do require treatment," the judge said. He said aggravating features were the large number of images and the age of some of the children.

Prosecutor David Webster said intelligence was received by the police and as a result investigations were carried out in Russia.

This led to Higgs' home being searched on May 16 when a number of computers and compact discs were seized.

He told officers: "I have been getting pornographic stuff on e-mail. I think I've been hacked."

He said he had been the inadvertent recipient of pornography. The police discovered many moving and still images ranging from the lowest to the most serious level of indecency.

The police also discovered file sharing software and Higgs indicated he had sent e-mails of images to Italy.

His counsel Michael Jones said: "Any right thinking member of the public would be appalled at the images found in this man's computer. "His best mitigation is his acceptance of guilt. There is remorse and he is disgusted with himself.

"Perhaps he does not realise the seriousness of the situation. He says it was curiosity which started it all. He can't explain why he persisted. "People are baffled to see him in the dock."

Higgs was ordered to register as a sex offender for ten years and disqualified from working with children for life.