A FORMER campsite manager who committed "truly shocking" crimes involving sexually explicit images of children has been jailed for three years.

Timothy John Lovatt, 57, downloaded hundreds of illegal still and moving images showing the sexual abuse of children including babies.

Lovatt's criminal conduct was unearthed as Cumbria police, acting on information, visited his home and seized computer equipment.

They found more than 5,000 file names which indicated that images had been shared across the internet. "Disturbing" chatroom conversations were also found.

Three of these involve downloading indecent still and moving images of children – hundreds classed in category A, the most serious. He also admitted possessing extreme pornographic images, having a prohibited image of a child and distributing 5,521 indecent photographs of children.

A youngster in one of the downloaded images was just four weeks old.

These suggested Lovatt had contacted and even met "like-minded" others with an interest in viewing images of sexual activity of children "of the very lowest age range".

Lovatt made full admissions to police. Prosecutor Mr Gerard Rogerson said: "He said he didn't mind what the age of the child was, or what the sex was; any naked child aroused him."

He was sentenced at Carlisle Crown Court today having admitted six charges relating to offences in 2015 and 2016. These included the downloading and distribution of illicit images, and possession of extreme animal porn pictures.

Lovatt, a former Royal Navy petty officer and ex-Windermere campsite manager, was said to be remorseful and seeking help.

But jailing Lovatt, now of West End Road, Morecambe, Judge Peter Hughes QC called his crimes "truly shocking".

"It is only a sick and depraved mind that could obtain any pleasure from such material," Judge Hughes told him.