A FORMER Newport bank manager was jailed for possessing images and a film of the sexual abuse of young boys.

Simon Thomas, 42, was locked up for two years after pleading guilty to a string of sex offences spanning six years.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Thomas, who was living in Newport and working from home for a bank in the city, was caught after the Metropolitan Police contacted Gwent Police as part of an ongoing paedophile operation.

In September last year, officers arrested Thomas and found a series of indecent images on his laptop and on a memory card.

Thomas had 57 images at level one, nine images at level two, six images at level three, 25 images at level four and one level five film, all of which involved boys, some believed to be as young as two.

Defending, Matthew Roberts said Thomas had blurred boundaries of what was acceptable and said he has lost everything and has only himself to blame.

Thomas, of King’s Road, Swansea, pleaded guilty to 16 counts of making indecent photographs of children, one count of possessing indecent photographs of children and one count of engaging in an activity intended to encourage the commission of an offence of engaging in sexual activity with a child.

He was jailed for two years for each of the offences, to be served concurrently.

He must sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was banned from working with children.