A MAN found with almost 107,000 indecent images of children on computers has avoided a jail sentence.

Philip Green had enough hard drives to store millions of such photos, Liverpool Crown Court heard.

He also had a sophisticated computer, but police decided to analyse just three of the storage devices, said Derek Jones prosecuting.

Forensic analysis revealed the photos and videos of children including some as young as three.

His barrister Michael Scholes told the court that he has concerns that the 47-year-old is "on the autistic spectrum" and had been socially isolated.

Passing sentence Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "You have an entrenched addiction to accessing these images", adding that Green continued to deny looking at them for sexual gratification.

He said Green had been accessing them for "many years" and there was a massive global industry involving the exploitation of young children.

The judge imposed a three year community order and said he must attend a sex offenders' programme.

He also ordered him to sign the Sex Offenders Register and made a ten year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Green had pleaded guilty to three offences of downloading child porn images and one of possessing them.

Mr Jones said that police raided his home in Highfield Street, Peasley Cross on June 16 last year and seized the computer and dozens of hard drives.

The equipment that was analysed revealed a total of 106,737 images in all three categories of seriousness but with the vast majority in the least serious category. Some had been obtained from news groups and others from other platforms.

Mr Scholes said that Green has no previous convictions and his wife, who had known nothing about his behaviour, is standing by him.

He said that he used to have a major weight problem but has lost 50 per cent of his weight. However he has some health problems following surgery, he added.