A DRIVER was caught with animal pornography photos and an indecent video of a child on his phone by police, a court heard.

Jon Morton, 32, had been sent the images, which included pictures of men and women having sex with different animals, via the Whatsapp messaging service during what was described in court as “laddish behaviour” between a group of people in a pub.

Nicoletta Amatino, prosecuting, said the images were found on Morton’s phone after he was involved in a road accident on August 3 last year, and the court heard another man, Kieran Fearn, 32, of Fountains Avenue, Tonge Moor, has already been fined for possessing four of the animal porn pictures and distributing the video of the child with an animal.

Miss Amatino said the prosecution accepted that there was not a “sinister” motive for the men having the images, who had viewed them as humorous.

Colin Buckle, defending Morton, who works in the motor trade and in town centre pubs and clubs, said that, without the car accident, the offence would not have been detected and stressed that he had not sought the images.

Morton, of Neasden Grove, Deane, pleaded guilty to possessing an indecent image of a child and five counts of possessing extreme animal porn.

Fining Morton £500, Judge Stead said people caught in possession of such “outrageously disgusting” images usually faced severe penalties.

“It is only because of the very peculiar offences in your case that I can take a different stance,” he said. "I accept that your receipt of these images was not sinister; that is to say you had no sexual motive.” Morton will be placed on the sex offender register for five years.