A PAEDOPHILE was caught after he shared “depraved” child abuse images by sending them to another man via WhatsApp who was being investigated by the police.

Matthew Parry, formerly of Cwmbran, also had further sickening sexual pictures and videos of girls aged between four and 12 on his LG mobile phone.

Lowri Patterson told Cardiff Crown Court how the 43-year-old shared the images with a fellow paedophile who was later arrested by Avon and Somerset Police.

Detectives in England passed on the information to their colleagues in the Gwent force and Parry’s home was raided just before Christmas 2018.

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Miss Patterson told Judge Richard Williams how the defendant had distributed one category A image, depicting the worst kind of child abuse, two at category B and eight at category C.

Parry was also in possession of 28 category A images, 23 at category B and 62 at category C.

There were 15 videos and 98 pictures.

The prosecutor said: “When he was arrested, he explained to the police, ‘I was sent them and I should have contacted you’.

“There are some images where the victims are clearly in a state of distress.”

Parry pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing indecent images of children and three counts of the possession of indecent images of children.

Harry Baker, mitigating, said his client had committed the offences nearly two years ago and had not offended since.

His barrister told the court: “He recently lost his partner who died of cancer sadly. He is also the carer for his elderly parents.

“The defendant has been deemed as posing a low risk of reoffending and there is a good prospect of rehabilitation.”

Judge Richard Williams told Parry, now of Fernhill, Glenboi, Mountain Ash, the images he had were “of a gross and depraved natured”.

But he said he was prepared to suspend the inevitable prison sentence.

The defendant was jailed for 16 months, suspended for 12 months.

Parry was ordered to complete a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement, pay £420 prosecution costs and a victim surcharge.

The defendant will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.