A father found with hundreds of indecent images of children as well as extreme bestiality pornography wept in court today as he was sentenced.

Mark Clift-Matthews, 36, of Treloweth Road in Pool, was handed a 16 month suspended sentence but was also allowed to see his young daughter, as social services found that he was not a threat to her.

Judge Robert Linford at Truro Crown Court today (June 28) said Matthews would face a "very lengthy prison sentence indeed" if he committed similar offences again.

He went on to say: "Material was found on that computer which plumbed the very depths of depravity. You need to understand that these are not just images that exist in the ether.

"These are real little boys and little girls that are having implements shoved in them and sometimes buggered for the entertainment of perverts. These images are shocking and you had a number of them on your computer."

Matthews was arrested on April 13 2017 and when interviewed by police admitted to engaging in sexualised chat with children, but claimed it was all fantasy and that he would not act on it.

Police seized an iPad and laptop and found 248 pornographic images and five movies involving children roughly between the ages of five and 14, and one image featuring sex with an animal.

They also found that he had searched the internet for 'baby circumcision' and 'teen circumcision'.

Judge Robert Linford told the court a probation officer advised him that there was a sufficient probability of Matthews' rehabilitation, which was why he was handed a suspended sentence rather than jail time.

Matthews will take a 30 day sexual offender rehabilitation programme and a serve a two year community order with 120 hours of unpaid work, as well as being made to pay £500 prosecution costs.