A FORMER Ellesmere Port Scout who incited underage boys to engage in sexual activity online by sending them indecent images has been sent to prison.

Terence Hamblett, 44, of Seymour Drive, made and owned hundreds of indecent images and videos of children.

Last month he pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court to a total of 20 charges, which also included possession of extreme pornography, voyeurism and encouraging a man via Skype to arrange for their son to engage in a sex act.

Judge Steven Everett oversaw the beginning of Hamblett's sentencing at Chester Crown Court today (Friday, December 14), with proceedings adjourned until next month.

In the meantime Hamblett, who had been on police bail, was put into custody.

Judge Everett said: "The inevitable is on its way; you have done some terrible, terrible things and this is a case which requires a lot of thought.

"The custodial sentence will be of some considerable length so you may as well start that now."

The court heard Hamblett had been in the Ellesmere Port and Neston Scouting movement for 32 years, had been a district committee member and would supervise other leaders.

All the charges dated between September 1, 2002 and September 9, 2016 and all took place in Ellesmere Port.

Eight of the charges which Hamblett pleaded guilty to, ranging between 2011 and 2016, involved inciting boys aged between 13 and 15 to engage in a sex act online.

Hamblett pleaded guilty to making 233 indecent photos (including 70 videos) of a child which were 'category A' – the most severe; 245 indecent images (including 70 videos) of children at category B and 444 indecent images (including three videos) of a child at category C.

He admitted possessing 922 indecent photos of a child and distributing indecent photos of a child – 566 at category A and 39 at category B.

He admitted having in his possession on September 8, 2016, 72 extreme pornographic images of people performing sex acts with animals.

He also pleaded guilty to an act of voyeurism which took place between January 1, 2013 and April 21, 2014, where he used a pinhole camera to film people – primarily one male victim – using a disabled toilet at a warehouse in Stoke-on-Trent.

The case was adjourned until next month for Hamblett's defence to be heard as well as findings from the pre-sentence report.

He has no previous convictions and had pleaded guilty to the charges on his first appearance at Chester Crown Court.