A YOUNG Chester man found with thousands of indecent images of children – more than 1,000 of them at the worst category – has been jailed for 18 months.

James Galloway, 21, of Downsfield Road, Lache, had previously pleaded guilty at his first Chester Crown Court appearance to owning indecent images and distributing six of them.

Appearing before Judge Nicholas Woodward, Galloway was sentenced on Monday, July 22 to a total of 18 months in prison.

Prosecuting, Simon Duncan said Galloway had obtained the images by using Kik Messenger and had been engaging with other users on there in sexualised chats, particularly concerning young children.

Between July 30, 2014 and June 15, 2018, Galloway obtained 13,629 indecent photos of children, plus 201 'cartoon-type' prohibited images of children.

Of those, 1,102 images, including 17 videos, were classed as 'category A' – the most serious type, while the indecent images involved children aged as young as six.

Six indecent images – one at category B, the other five of category C – were also distributed by Galloway.

Police had searched Galloway's home and found the indecent images were on his phone, a MicroSD card and a USB stick.

He had also been found to have stolen several pairs of knickers belonging to a woman, who said in her victim personal statement to police she was unaware of the theft and very upset by it.

Mr Duncan told the court Galloway – a man with no previous convictions – had started using Kik Messenger as he was "depressed and lonely".

In police interview, Galloway accepted he was responsible for getting all the images and for the theft.

Defending, Oliver King said Galloway had referred himself to Platform for Life, a charity for people with mental health issues, which had provided a letter to the court.

Galloway did not have a particularly good experience at school, had been bullied there, and became very withdrawn, which took him to an online world, to Kik Messenger.

He felt part of the community and began to take part in the conversations.

Galloway maintained he did not get any kick from the indecent images, but more from being part of the community and collecting the images.

A pre-sentence report had said Galloway was open with the probation officer but appeared to lack empathy.

He was also a vulnerable young man who would find custody "really quite difficult".

Mr King recommended a prison sentence should be suspended and a "vigorous", two-year community order with a number of requirements should be imposed.

But Judge Woodward, sentencing, said the amassing of indecent images had been "including very young children indeed, over a four-year period."

He told Galloway: "I accept you are young and have psychological issues and you would be vulnerable in custody.

"I have read carefully the probation report, but there is no realistic indication of engaging with it. You simply don't accept what it is you have done.

"This is too serious to be dealt with other than immediate custody."

Galloway was sentenced to 18 months in prison and made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

The devices used to store the indecent images were to be forfeited and destroyed.