A pervert who downloaded hundreds of vile child abuse videos and images has walked free from court with a suspended sentence.

The vile details of some of the videos downloaded by Joao Da Silva were read out in court while he sobbed throughout proceedings.

The 34-year-old father was arrested after his online activities caught the attention of specialist police officers hunting down child sex offenders.

Teesside Crown Court heard how forensic analysis of the defendant’s Samsung mobile phone recovered around 700 sickening videos and images stashed in a secured file.

Charles Thompson, prosecuting, said Da Silva was arrested on August 8, 2022, when members of Durham Constabulary’s Online Child Abuse Investigation team raided his Darlington home.

He said a search of his mobile phone revealed he had almost 200 videos and images in the most serious category as well as two videos containing extreme pornography and a prohibited CGI image.

Mr Thompson said: “He stored the images in an application known as ‘Applocker’ which requires users to make a correct pattern to open it.

“It is used to store any files and the use of it shows the defendant has been trying to conceal the images in a private and inaccessible area of his phone.”

He told the court some of the videos showed the victims, one as young as four-years-old, were visibly distressed while they are being sexually abused.

Da Silva, of Neasham Road, Darlington, pleaded guilty to possession of 91 images and 97 videos of Class A; 134 images and 36 videos in Class B; 345 images and 18 videos in Class C, two extreme pornography videos and prohibited image.

Chantelle Stocks, mitigating, said her client had moved to the UK ten years ago and had never been in trouble before.

“He understands these are serious matters and the court will be considering an immediate custodial sentence,” she said.

Miss Stocks said the defendant’s conviction had impact on his partner and his ability to spend time with his own child.

Judge Francis Laird KC passed a 12-month custodial sentence suspended for 18 months after he showed remorse for his offending.

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He said: “What is particularly disturbing about your offending is that some of the images depicted children as young as four and up to the age of 12 being abused.

“In some of them, the children have shown visible distress.”

Da Silva was ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register and was issued with a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

He was also told to attend 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days to address his behaviour and pay £150 towards court costs.