A MAN who downloaded more than 15,000 indecent images of children had his crimes branded “utterly repugnant” by a judge.

Andrew Cole, 62, of Station Road, Bletchingdon, was jailed for 14 months yesterday after he admitted looking at hundreds of pictures of children being sexually abused on the internet.

The former Stagecoach operations manager was arrested on May 8 last year after police came across him on the internet.

Cathy Olliver, prosecuting, said officers found thousands of images on a laptop, a desktop computer and two external hard drives.

She told Judge Mary Jane Mowat that Cole said he had downloaded “hundreds” of indecent images but never shared them over the internet.

Mrs Olliver told Oxford Crown Court this was “something of an underestimate” and that police found “thousands” of photographs and videos.

The barrister added that an examination of the computers and hard drives showed that the divorced father-of-two had been downloading images “consistently” since 2007.

Jane Malcolm, defending, said: “He has put his hands up and done that from an early opportunity because he feels incredible sorrow and shame... about what he has done.”

She added that he was keen to take part in any sex offender programmes that might be available in prison.