An Asperger Syndrome sufferer from Chudleigh was found with more than 2,000 child abuse images on his computer after police discovered he had been accessing a notorious Russian website.

Student Zachary Roberts was told by a judge that his downloading of the images contributed directly to the abuse of children in other countries.

Recorder Mr Don Tait said the material found on Roberts’ two computers was ’most unpleasant and absolutely appalling’.

Roberts, aged 23, of Fore Street, Chudleigh, admitted ten counts of making or possessing indecent images of children and was jailed for a year, suspended for two years, and ordered to go on a probation run rehabilitation course.

He was also ordered to sign on the sex offenders’ register for five years and made subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order which will allow the police to monitor his use of the internet.

The Recorder told him: ’You are an intelligent young man who has some difficulties. I have seen a schedule of the images you were looking at and some are absolutely appalling.

"This sort of material is not victimless. Somewhere in the world, young children are being abused and that abuse is being recorded. It will continue to go on as long as people like you continue to view this material.

’The aggravating features are the amount of material, the fact that there are moving images as well as stills, and the description of these images, which were most unpleasant.

’You have the potential of a good future so long as you do not relapse into this sort of sordid behaviour.’

Neil Treharne, prosecuting, said police traced Roberts through his IP address after receiving intelligence that he had been downloading abuse images and movies.

They raided his home where he lives with his family, but found it difficult to get an explanation because of Roberts’ Asperger Syndrome.

They seized two iMacs and found a total of 3,082 offending items, including 480 images and 11 movies in the most serious Category A, which means they show violent abuse or rape of young children.

Experts found they had come from a file-sharing site based in Russia which is notorious for hosting abuse images.

Roberts admitted everything to police and said he had come across the site by accident and used the images to explore his own sexuality.

Felicity Payne, mitigating, said Roberts had started a college course which he hopes to resume in September and was keen to receive help from the probation service to make sure he does not offend again.

She said: ’At the time he started this he was only 19. He is an individual with Asperger Syndrome who was also diagnosed with Tourettes when he was younger.

’He says this was inadvertent offending and while he does not use his Asperger’s as a reason, it has increased his social isolation.

’In the pre-sentence report he describes himself as an impulsive individual who needs help. In his words, he says he needs to be fixed.’