A 69-YEAR-OLD Cwmbran man has been given a three year supervision order after he was caught with more than 1,500 indecent images of children on his computer.

Allan Crowley, of Glade Close, Cwmbran, used online sex chatting sites to describe a “fantasy world” where he would abuse children.

In December last year, Crowley pleaded guilty to possessing 1,585 indecent images of children between January 2006 and March 2013. He was sentenced at Newport Crown Court on Friday.

Judge Patrick Curran QC said the offences were “very serious” because they involve “real children being sexually assaulted”. He gave Crowley a three year supervision order with a requirement to undertake a sex offender treatment programme. Crowley will also be listed on the sex offender register for five years.

Officers from Gwent Police seized Crowley’s computer on 28 March, 2013, and found 257 category A images of children – the highest and most serious category. He also had 118 category B images and 1,210 category C images.

Prosecution barrister Michael Hammett told the court police also found a number of explicit messages and conversations sent via the internet which involved the defendant detailing his fantasies of abusing children.

The court heard how Crowley admitted using sex chatting sites and Windows Live Messenger but said “people would start chatting about things and he would simply go along with it”.

Mr Hammett said: “The defendant accepted involving himself in those types of conversations which was a sort of fantasy world.

“His interest in the photographs began from when he went on a site looking for music and was not actively looking for pictures but just happened upon them.”

But defence barrister Marian Lewis said Crowley committed the offences at a time when he was in low spirits and nursing his sick wife.

She said: “He was at a personal low ebb. He was nursing a sick wife and trying to carry on with his employment. The marriage failed and then his wife left him.

“His remorse is genuine and he feels really ashamed of the way he behaved.”

Judge Curran told Crowley: “The probation officer says you accept the seriousness of the case and you told her you deserve to be punished.

“The point is whether the interest of society will be better served by the alternative of what would be a relatively short prison sentence.

“Over a long period, the supervision and treatment programme will assist you in dealing with this problem that you had. It has, however, all the strength of a suspended prison sentence. It has the power to keep the hand of the court on you.”