Man downloaded almost 1,000 indecent child images

Martin Harvey, 66, was being monitored by police

A man has been jailed after downloading almost 1,000 indecent images of children.

Martin Harvey, from Rugby, was being monitored by officers as part of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) he received after a previous offence.

In 2023, they discovered he had deleted his internet browsing history, which police said breached the terms of the order, and a hard drive was found containing the images.

According to officers, the 66-year-old said he had "drifted back into the old days" and that he "was stupid".

Harvey was subsequently charged with breaching his SHPO and for downloading indecent images of children.

He was given a two-year prison sentence during a hearing at Warwick Crown Court on Wednesday.

Det Con Lauren Cooper, of Warwickshire Police, said she hoped the sentence would serve as a warning to others who "believe they can continue to offend in this way".

She added: "Viewing indecent images of children creates a market for the sexual abuse of children and I want to be absolutely clear - if you are involved in the production or viewing of materials like that - it's only a matter of time before we are at your door."