TWO men have admitted hoarding a collection of indecent photographs of children after police raided the home they share in Fairfield.

Douglas Horne, 43, and Darren Roberts, 45, both of Willis Street, pleaded guilty to possessing indecent photographs of young people during a hearing at Warrington Magistrates' Court last Wednesday, July 12.

The court heard how both men were arrested after a warrant was executed at their home.

The raid was carried out after concerns were raised that photographs capturing the sexual abuse of children were being distributed online from a property in Warrington. 

Lionel Cope, prosecuting, said: "Cheshire Constabulary received information that between September 29, 2015, and October 4, 2015, various indecent images were being made available to other people on a peer-to-peer site.

"A warrant was executed at the property."

Officers carried out a search of the home and electrical items were seized for forensic examination by detectives. 

Following extensive enquiries by officers, Horne was charged with possessing 1,023 indecent photographs between July 21, 2011, and November 18, 2016.

From the hundreds of photos uncovered by police, 50 were identified as category A – these are pictures which are deemed as the most severe by the courts.

A total of 568 photos were classified as category B while 405 pictures were noted as category C.

Roberts was charged with possessing 70 indecent photographs of children between April 30, 2009, and November 18, 2016.

This included 12 category A, 45 category B, and 13 category C.

After hearing the evidence, the bench of magistrates adjourned the case so that a pre-sentence report could be carried out by the probation service ahead of sentencing. 

The next hearing will take place on August 7 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court.

Both men were ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register after pleading guilty to the offences.