A YOUNG man who downloaded “appalling” child abuse images from the dark web for his own sexual gratification said he was “petrified” of people finding out about his sick crimes.

McDonald’s manager Jamie McDougall was only 18 years old when police raided his home address.

Officers acted after receiving information devices which had been used to access indecent images of children.

They seized a mobile phone and two computers belonging to McDougall, now aged 20, finding more than 200 child images.

In total, 107 images at the most serious Category A were found, alongside 69 at Category B and 76 at Category C.

Police also found 14 extreme pornographic images, some depicting bestiality.

At Chelmsford Crown Court, sentencing judge Mary Loram QC said: “As ever, the descriptions of images in Category A should appal anyone reading them.

“But they appear not to have appalled you.”

She said McDougall had downloaded and stored the images “for his own sexual gratification”.

“You create a market for child abuse,” she said.

McDougall, of Smythe Close, Clacton, admitted three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Charlotte Hughes, mitigating, said her client had made full admissions in interview and admitted the charges at the earliest opportunity.

“Following a search for other types of regular pornography, he found these images and downloaded them,” she said.

“He put them on a memory stick so he did not have to access those websites at a later date.

“It is his assertion he did not deliberately search out the images.”

Ms Hughes said the offences were “born out of naivety and a lack of maturity”.

She added: “He has conveyed to me this morning the immense amount of shame and guilt he feels around these offences.”

Ms Hughes said McDougall had “cut himself off” from his friends and is “petrified” over the prospect of people finding out about his crimes.

The offender was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with conditions to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and a 20-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He will be subject to a five year sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender’s register for ten years.