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A Pudsey paedophile who downloaded images of children as young as four being abused was arrested after police were tipped off by a vigilante group.

The online hunter activists snared Shaun Armstrong, and when he was take into custody his phone was found to contain two Category A images – the most serious – along with 17 Category B and 29 Category C.

The ages of the children in the vile photos were estimated to range from four to 10. They also found that 41-year-old Armstrong had Instagram accounts, with names that suggested he had a sexual interest in children.

Data found the photos had been downloaded between June and July in 2019, prosecutor Jemima Stephenson told Leeds Crown Court his week.

Armstrong had child abuse photos on his phone, and Instagram accounts suggesting his interest in children.

He was interviewed twice by police, first denying that he knew anything about the photos, and then giving no comments during his second interview.

Armstrong, of Magdalin Drive, Stanningley, eventually pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images. He has no previous convictions.

Mitigating, Sean Smith said there had been no further offending since 2019, and that Armstrong had voluntarily completed the ‘Safer Lives’ accredited course for sex offenders.

The judge, Recorder Sam Green KC, told Armstrong: “You got yourself into trouble by making indecent images that involves children that are very young. This is not a victimless offence.”

He gave him eight months’ jail, suspended for 12 months, put him on the sex offenders register for 10 years and gave him a 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for 10 years that will limit his internet use.

Leeds paedophile had sick photos on his phone set up Instagram accounts ‘suggesting abuse interest’