A PERVERT was accessing an extreme pornographic video of a child just minutes before police raided his home.

Investigators found the video on loner Graham Howarth's phone and a further 679 indecent images of children, plus two extreme pornographic images on his computer.

Alison Mather, prosecuting, told Bolton Crown Court how local police were alerted to 49-year-old Howarth by the National Crime Agency and he was at home when, armed with a warrant, they visited him at 8.30am on July 27, 2018.

Miss Mather said that most of the images found were of children aged between 10 and 16.

"The Category A moving image had been accessed that morning at 7.43am, just before the police arrived," she said.

"And in respect of an extreme pornographic image, 34 minutes before the officers attended."

Examination of the phone and computer revealed unemployed Howarth, of Kentmere Road, Breightmet, had also been searching the internet for information about how to clear a browsing history.

Howarth, who has no previous convictions for similar matters, pleaded guilty to three counts relating to possessing and downloading the images.

Mark Rhind, defending, stressed that Howarth had not distributed the images to anyone else and claimed, due to the isolated nature of his life, he had lost touch with reality.

"He doesn't work and spends almost the entirety of his time alone and socialises almost entirely online," said Mr Rhind.

"He developed a view of pornography that became more and more unrealistic."

He added that Howarth had begun with an interest in legal cartoon-style pornography but, because of the child-like appearance of the characters, had become "desensitised" and strayed into viewing images of real children.

"He has shown real remorse. He now fully recognises that these images are not abstract and that they cause real harm to real people. He is bitterly sorry for his involvement," said Mr Rhind.

Judge Graeme Smith said that the public could be best protected by Howarth being rehabilitated and sentenced him to a three-year community order during which he will have to participate in 50 days of rehabilitation activities, including a sex offenders' programme.

He was also ordered to undertake 160 days of unpaid work, was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order and placed on the sex offenders' register for five years