A paedophile gave a "shameless" response to police after being arrested over "despicable" indecent images of children.
Trevor Smith was in possession of sickening abuse images that depicted children as young as three-years-old when police searched his County Durham home.
And when the 54-year-old father was questioned by officers, he told them the children in the images "looked like they were doing it because they wanted to".
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Smith, of Orchard Close, Crook, appeared at Durham Crown Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for three counts of making indecent images between August 1, 2020 and September 3, 2020.
He pleaded guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said police went to his home and found him in possession of 313 category A, 194 category B, and 107 category C, indecent "still and moving" images.
The material was found on his mobile phone and he had attempted to "avoid detection" by hiding images in "hidden files".
During police interview, Smith "accepted the phone was his" and took responsibility for the images found.
Smith, who had no previous convictions, told officers "he had been stupid" and "knew it was illegal".
Worryingly, he also told police that it "looked like the children were doing it because they wanted to", Mr Sabiston said.
Amrit Jandoo, defending, said Smith made "full and frank admissions", and said it was a case which creates "strong emotions".
He said Smith was "remorseful", has "children of his own", and had worked in the NHS.
Mr Jandoo added Smith had "lost his good name".
Judge Ray Singh, said the court had also received a letter from Smith's wife, who spoke of him in "glowing terms", but said "shame" had been brought on the family.
The judge said Smith had "little victim awareness" and that many of the images in his possession were the "most despicable type".
He added Smith gave a "thoroughly shameless response" to the police, and said "that's probably still your view, I'm afraid".
Smith was jailed for 10 months and will be on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
He was also given a 10 year sexual harm prevention order.
