A pervert with previous convictions for sex offences has been jailed for 15 months for downloading sadistic images of children being abused.

Kim Wildey was told by a judge: "You are worrying because you seem not to appreciate entirely just how grave these offences are."

The 55-year-old father, of Grovehurst Road, Sittingbourne, had declared: "I am not the only one in the world doing it."

But Judge Andrew Patience QC said it did not excuse or explain what Wildey did.

He admitted 16 charges of making indecent photographs of children between April 2005 and December last year and four of possessing such photographs.

Officers from the public protection crime unit went to his home on December 19 last year and seized computers and other equipment.

Maidstone Crown Court heard that Wildey had downloaded 99 still images and 54 movie clips covering all levels of seriousness from one to five.

They were predominantly of pre-pubescent girls aged between four and 11. Four were at the highest level, which include torture and sadism.

Wildey was jailed for a year in 1996 for gross indecency and indecent assault on young girls. His name was not added to the sex offenders’ register because it was not established until the following year.

Alistair Keith, defending, said Wildey’s wife had not known about the previous conviction and stopped attending court to support him.

"He has transferred the property to his wife so that she and the children should have a roof over their heads," said Mr Keith.

"Because of his actions he has lost everything. There is nowhere to go after his release. He has medical problems and has had suicidal tendencies in the past."

He added: "It is going to be a hard road to travel in custody."

Judge Patience told Wildey he of all people with a history of claiming he had been abused should have no reason to access the "terrible material".

"You knew you took pleasure from seeing done to young children what you say was to an extent done to you," he said.

"Somewhere on this planet someone is doing unspeakably wicked things to children who don’t understand what is being done to them but are terrified and thereafter damaged.

"It is done because people like you at the end of the chain are downloading and seeking gratification from it. To immediate imprisonment you must go."

A sexual offences prevention order was imposed banning unsupervised contact with children and Wildey must remain on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.