A MAN who volunteered with the air cadets downloaded more than three thousand indecent images of children over a two-year period.

Adam Lynch, aged 33 and of Pryce Street in Bolton, was handed a community order at Bolton Crown Court today after previously pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Claire Thomas, prosecuting, told the court that when police seized devices belonging to Lynch, they contained 1,176 pictures and videos of children of category A, the most severe type of image, 1,105 of category B and 1,003 of category C.

The court heard how some of the images and videos featured young boys aged around six or seven-years-old.

The images were downloaded by Lynch during a two-year period between June 2014 and 2016.

When interviewed by police Lynch admitted that he got the images from ‘various blogs’ and file sharing software and admitted sending images on to another person.

Miss Thomas told the court that when Lynch was asked by police if he had any contact with children he said that he volunteered with the air cadets.

Police arrested Lynch after receiving a tip off that someone was sharing indecent images of children and on June 8 this year officers searched his home address and seized a laptop, two hard drives and an iPhone.

The court heard how Lynch had made full admissions to what he had done and that he had no previous convictions.

Judge Timothy Stead said that by downloading indecent images Lynch had ‘lent support to the overall abuse of children’.

Lynch was handed a community order lasting for three years, including a rehabilitation element.

He was also ordered to pay £425 in costs and a victim surcharge of £60 and handed a sexual harm prevention.

He was placed on the sex offenders register for five years.