When Martin Scammell asked a friend to look after a bag containing a mobile phone, she decided to look at it and found indecent images of children.

She told a friend who took the bag and phone to a police station and two days later Scammell, 47, was arrested.

The images showed children aged from six to 10, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Scammell, of Broadstairs, admitted possessing indecent images of children and was jailed for nine months.

Dominic Connolly, prosecuting, said police went to Scammell’s home on January 14 after the phone had been handed in and seized another mobile phone.

“These are not artistic pictures – they are children being abused in real life..." - Judge Heather Norton

The SD card was examined and indecent images of children were found.

Scammell, whose address was given as care of Queens Road Baptist Church, Broadstairs, had no previous convictions but did have cautions relating to drug matters.

Phil Rowley, defending, said Scammell was encountering substantial difficulties wrestling with what had occurred.

Judge Heather Norton said it appeared that Scammell was deluded over what he was looking at.

“These are not artistic pictures – they are children being abused in real life,” she told him.

“There is nothing artistic about them.”

Scammell was also given a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to pay £100 surcharge.

The images will be destroyed.