A ‘loner’s’ vile stash of child rape images was discovered after police were tipped off he was alleged to have abused a toddler in the north of England.

Ian Rigby, 38, was never charged with that alleged abuse – but information from Yorkshire police led officers in Oxfordshire to his door in Banbury.

A total of 14 electronic devices were seized during the raid on September 5, 2019. Checks by digital specialists showed he had downloaded 147 images and videos in the worst category, showing the rape of underage girls. He had 244 category B images, 1,045 in category C and 55 prohibited images of children.

Having been arrested the later charged, Rigby confessed to having looked at more disgusting sexual pictures of children. Between February and March this year he looked at 1,191 category C images, showing underage girls in sexualised poses.

Interviewed by detectives earlier this year, Rigby claimed he’d tried to avoid the worst images and regretted what he’d done.

Prosecutor Robert Lindsey said Rigby had downloaded software to hide his activities online and also had software designed to wipe files from the computer.

Rigby, of Victoria Place, Banbury, pleaded guilty to making indecent and prohibited images of children. He had no previous convictions.

Sentencing him to 10 months’ imprisonment suspended for two years, Judge Ian Pringle QC said: “Staggeringly between February 1 of this year, 2021, and March 11 of this year you proceeded to download a further 1,000 category C images seemingly unable to resist the lure of looking at obscene images of children.”

Mitigating, Leanne Ballato said her client needed rehabilitation. “Mr Rigby is ashamed. He is so ashamed of his actions that he couldn’t even speak to his GP about who he was.”

As a result of his offending he had lost his marriage and family members no longer spoke to him.

“He is a loner. He has no friends, he has now no family who want to be associated with him due to these offences,” Ms Ballato said.

She likened the offending to an ‘addiction without a cure’. However, the rehabilitation programme that the probation service recommended he was put on offered the chance of a cure.

Judge Pringle ordered Rigby do 120 hours of unpaid work, serve a two month curfew and 40 rehabilitation activity days. He was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order limiting his access to children or the internet until further order.

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