Community sentence handed down to young Wigan man who made vile pictures of child abuse

Tom Webster, of Bolton Road, Ashton, had pleaded guilty on his first appearance before Wigan and Leigh magistrates to three charges.

One was of creating 349 pictures that fell into the most serious category of abuse - A - another of making 701 category B images and 280 category C.

Having been sent by justices to Bolton Crown Court for sentencing, Webster was given a three-year community punishment which includes completing a sex offenders' programme and observing a two-month night-time curfew.

He has also been made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign on the sex offenders' register for the same amount of time.

Webster also has to pay £250 in court costs and an electronic device on which the indecent images was made has been forfeited.