A FORMER mortgage broker caught with over 900 indecent images of children as young as 14 months and contacted an underage girl and boy has avoided jail.

Simon Collins, 52, of Moran Avenue, Chelmsford - who has lost his job since his arrest - pleaded guilty to a dozen charges relating to downloading the images and incitement.

But he was spared jail when Judge Patricia Lynch QC, sitting at Chelmsford Crown Court, said his "saving grace" was that he hadn't actually met or pursued any physical contact with the youngsters.

She imposed concurrent sentences of four months for each of ten offences of downloading, or making, indecent images of children from 2010-2017, plus a total of 18 months for inciting the girl, aged 13-15 to engage in sexual activity and for grooming a boy of 14.

However, all the sentences were suspended for two years. In addition Collins will have to undertake a sexual offenders' treatment programme, be supervised for two years and sign the sex offenders' register until further order.

And the judge imposed a sexual harm prevention order for the next five years which helps police to monitor his internet use.

Judge Lynch told Collins, who looked down to the floor throughout the hearing: "You should be hanging your head in shame.

"People like yourself forget that those images are real children who are subjected to degrading, horrendous abuse. How would you feel if it was your daughter who was being filmed?"

Collins, who has a 19-year-old daughter, replied: "I would be disgusted, shocked and appalled and exceptionally angry."

Prosecutor Raj Joshi said police raided Collins' home on 20 January this year. Officers found 936 images on his computer devices in his bedroom at his parents' address where he was living. The images were of children from babies to 14 and included penetration.

Collins' conversations in chat rooms included detailed descriptions with a male in 2010 who said he had been having sex with his step sister since she was four; and a girl living in America who was 13.

In January 2011, he asked a girl for photographs, described what he would do and encouraged more photos to be sent to him. He also expressed a desire "for a more active photos involving penetrative sex", said the prosecutor.

Collins also talked to a boy of 14 who said he was gay. There was talk of possibly meeting up to perform various acts.

Mr Joshi said : "Nothing came of these chats, but the Crown says it's the actual chats, the conversation, which is crucial. He contacted a child."

Mitigating, Darren Almeda said Collins was genuinely remorseful and ashamed.

The offences were committed out of "gross stupidity and boredom", he added.

Collins was drinking due to stress over work and his marriage breakdown. He returned to live with his parents "and became a very solitary individual, reclusive and on the internet."

"He took himself into a fantasy world, one to which he could escape his realities and stress of every-day life," said the barrister.

He said Collins only spoke to the girl on one day and the boy over two days "before he came to his senses".

He had lost his job of 23 years as a mortgage broker.