A CHARD man has been spared jail after it was discovered by detectives in the USA that he had hundreds of films and images of child sex abuse on his laptop and phone.

Jack Oaten, 21, was arrested after investigators in the USA passed evidence of his crimes to police in UK, who then launched an investigation.

The court was told Oaten was found with 156 indecent movies and images on his laptop and 186 pictures and films on his phone of children as young as three or four.

At a previous court hearing prosecutor Julyan Stephens said that the police were made aware by investigators at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection organisation (CEOP) of an email address linked to the defendant which had been involved in obtaining pornographic images of children.

“As a result police carried out a search of Oaten’s address in Chard where he was living at the time and seized a laptop and mobile phone,” he said.

Since his arrest Oaten has been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome.

Defending Ray Peters said that Oaten did not know what he was doing was wrong.

He pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children and admitted a second similar charge at Somerset Magistrates Court in Yeovil on September 16, and was sent to Taunton Crown Court for sentencing.

In crown court on Friday, Oaten spoke from the dock and said he was “disgusted” with his actions.

Oaten said: “I was scared I was going to prison. I am scared of all social aspects of life.

“I don’t know the difference between right and wrong.”

“I was disgusted by what I did after all this time. I can look back and say that was wrong.”

In sentencing, Judge David Ticehurst told Oaten that if he committed similar offences again he would be sent to prison.

Judge Ticehurst said: “If you ever look or try to look at these sorts of images again, you will go to prison for a long time.

“What you did was quite wrong and quite disgusting.

“If I see you again, you will go to prison.

“Don’t ever even think about doing something like this again.”

Oaten was sentenced to a two-year community order, a two-year supervision order, a seven-year sexual harm prevention order and he has also been placed on the sex offenders register for five years.