A paedophile has pleaded guilty to possessing more than 2,000 indecent images of children.
Darren Leslie Nathan Phelps, 55, appeared at Swindon Magistrates’ Court this morning (16 February), where he admitted a string of sexual offences.
The crimes include making or possessing 2,334 incident photographs of children of all levels of severities – including category A – between 14 October 2018 and 29 November 2020.
The defendant, of Commercial Road, Swindon, also admitted possessing four prohibited images of children and seven images depicting an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal.
Prosecutor Tom Power said Phelps was caught with a “wide range of images”, telling the magistrates that the case is “well outside your sentencing powers”.
Magistrates deemed the case too serious and sent it to Swindon Crown Court for sentence. A pre-sentence report was ordered.
The defendant was told to register as a sex offender at Gablecross Police Station within 72 hours.
He was released on unconditional bail.