by Simon Tulett

A Dartford man has been sentenced to a year in jail and placed on the sex offenders' register after being caught with hundreds of child porn images.

Bernard Arthur Payne, formerly of Mead Crescent, pleaded guilty to seven counts of making indecent images and nine counts of possessing indecent images of children.

Kent Police uncovered 346 computer images and 215 movie clips, containing about 39 hours of footage, when they raided the 61-year-old's home on January 29.

DC Mikaela Stevens, who lead the investigation, said: "Payne had viewed and stored a large number of sickening images and graphic movies featuring abuse of children.

"Every picture and every video is a child being exploited and the use of child abuse images is not a victimless crime.'

Payne, who was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday, November 18, also received a sexual offences prevention order for seven years.