A PAEDOPHILE who described himself as a "monster" after downloading child pornography was jailed yesterday.

Police swooped on the the home of Stephen Fairweather, 26, after the FBI discovered his credit card details on an American child porn website.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the loner had downloaded almost 2,000 photos showing children being abused.

Caroline Goodwin, prosecuting, told the court how a number of short movies featuring children were also recovered from his former home, in Thorney Close, Sunderland, in October.

Mrs Goodwin said: "He told officers he thought he was ill and described himself as a monster."

Ian Graham, mitigating, said Fairweather had been hounded out of his home.

He said: "In recent weeks this defendant, who was a loner to start with, has had his windows smashed and his home has been threatened with arson.

"Police took the matter so seriously that they moved him into a bail hostel for his own protection."

Fairweather pleaded guilty to 12 charges of making indecent images between February and September last year.

He was jailed for six months and his licence period was extended to two years.

He was also order to register as a sex offender for ten years.