A pervert who admitted possessing an extreme pornographic video showing someone performing a sex act with a snake, has narrowly avoided jail.

Daniel Newman, 20, was also found with indecent images of children when police raided his home in Dartford in June 2020.

Newman, of James Smith Court, in the town was charged with three counts of possessing indecent images of children and one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image, namely a video which showed a person performing an act of intercourse with a live snake.

He admitted all four offences in March this year when he appeared before magistrates in Medway and was back at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, August 25, to be sentenced.

The court heard Newman, who works as a cashier and sales assistant at fashion retailer Zara, was found with category A, B and C indecent images of young children, and was found to possess 241 images in category A, the worst type.

Trevor Wright prosecuting said: "One item seized from his home was an Apple iPhone.

"It was examined and the images were graded as 241 category A still images, 431 category B images and 435 category C images. There was also one extreme image.

"There were also moving images, 26 at category A, 12 at B."

Mr Wright also told Recorder Sarah Counsell that Newman had a previous conviction for serious sexual offence of inciting a boy under the age of 13 to engage in sexual activity.

The court also heard Newman was still on licence after being released from the 30 month sentence he'd been given for the sexual offence when he committed the new crimes.

Archie Manby defending also told Recorder Counsell his client had an abusive and isolated childhood, had been diagnosed with ADHD, depression and autism and had been seeking help with his offending behaviour and has undergone psychotherapy sessions.

Recorder Counsell jailed Newman for one year and four months for all the offences but suspended the term for two years.

He must also carry out 250 hours of unpaid work and complete 30 rehabilitation activity requirement sessions with probation and be placed on a tagged curfew for three months from 9pm until 7am each day.

Recorder Counsell said: "Such crimes have such an impact on the young children abused in the images and fundamentally subjects them to further offending of hideous abuse.

"You downloaded the images while still on licence for a very serious sexual offence and committed them close after your release, which is an aggravating factor.

"If you go to custody the chances of you offending again increase rather than decrease, so I am suspending the term for two years."

Newman was also placed on a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and will also be on the sex offenders register and must notify police of where he lives for the next 10 years.

He was also ordered to pay £425 costs.