Pervert had 15,000 indecent child images

David Stokes, of Egerton Road, Whitchurch, appeared at Shrewsbury Crown yesterday after admitting 12 counts of making indecent photos of a child and four counts of possessing indecent images of a child.

The court heard 15,252 low level images were found as well as more than 60 higher level images. The charges relate to a period between September 10, 2005 and November 20, 2008. Stokes, who worked with scouts for 10 years, was sentenced to a three-year community order, with supervision, to ensure he completes a community sex offender group work programme.

Judge Robin Onions told Stokes that the guidelines could have led to a short custodial term but this would have resulted in his problems not being tackled. He was also made the subject of notification requirements under the Sexual Offences Act and a sexual offences prevention order for five years, which included a condition that he not have unsupervised contact with under-16s. He was also ordered to pay £340 costs.

Mr Stephen Bacon, prosecuting, said: "The facts related to a warrant executed at 7am on April 29, 2009. During that warrant the police seized the defendant's computer tower, hard-drive, 112 discs and one DVD.

"He was interviewed on May 13, 2009 and January 7, 2010, and on both occasions admitted downloading all the items that were recovered, of an indecent nature, of children.

"He denied that he had been guilty of any misconduct when working with the scouts and other groups over a 10-year period."