A “depraved” York sex offender who had 'harrowing' images of child sex abuse has been given an eight-year extended prison sentence.

Daniel Roberts, 31, claims to be “addicted” to looking at and sharing videos and pictures of children of all ages being sexually abused, York Crown Court heard.

Rachael Landin, prosecuting, said he chatted online with other like-minded people about sexually abusing children and sent them files from his “vast” digital  library of thousands of sexual videos and pictures of children aged from babies to 16. He had amassed it between 2012 and 2024.

He had so many illegal images, police couldn't count or catalogue them all. One long-serving officer described some of the images as the “most harrowing” she had ever seen.

Police also found items in his house showing his sexual interest in children.

Each time during the two-year police investigation that he was arrested or put before a court and then released on bail, he resumed his perverted crimes, sometimes within hours, until he was remanded in custody.

“The defendant has an entrenched interest in indecent images of children and has had for more than a decade,” said Ms Landin.

In two encrypted chats, he sent 40 videos, and he described himself online as "adult male attracted to minors". 

Roberts, of Jorvik Close, York, pleaded guilty to 24 offences involving the distribution and downloading of indecent images of children and downloading prohibited images and extreme pornography.  

As details of his crimes were read out, at times he hid his face in his hands. 

Judge Simon Hickey said: “This in my mind is one of the most depraved series of offences it has been my misfortune to deal with.”

Roberts’ images “show a vast number of children were suffering pain, distress and humiliation and you continued to offend in that way until remanded in custody. That seems to be the only way to stop you.”

Some of Roberts’ online chats were “clearly designed to encourage sexual abuse or sexual interest in children".

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Roberts was given an eight-year extended jail term consisting of four years imprisonment plus four years’ extended probation supervision and cannot be released from prison until he has served at least two-thirds of the first four years. After release, he may be recalled to prison at any time up to the end of the eight years if the Parole Board decides his behaviour merits it.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register and subject to a sexual harm prevention order for life and is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults.

Defence solicitor advocate Neal Kutte said there was no evidence Roberts had himself sexually assaulted or raped any child. He had been unable to stop his behaviour because he was “addicted” to it.

Roberts’ parents, though appalled by his crimes, were standing by him and would help him when he is released.

He had lived an isolated life, carrying out his crimes in secret. He accepted his actions were wrong and was seeking help with his mental health.

Detective Constable Lucy Wise said: “Roberts is a dangerous individual with an enduring sexual interest in accessing child abuse images.

“Accessing or downloading indecent images of children is not a victimless crime; perpetrators often don’t stop to think about the lives of young children destroyed by the abuse that takes place behind these images. 

"The children depicted in these sexual abuse images are continuously re-victimised when these are accessed and distributed on the internet. Perpetrators like Roberts, allow this to happen, purely for their own selfish gratification.

“North Yorkshire Police are committed to preventing child sexual abuse and helping victims by bringing offenders to justice."