A loner who had sickening images of children being sexually abused stored on his computer has been spared jail.
Police found a "residue" of the illegal collection, which contained still and moving images, on a hard drive when they searched Ross Alison's home.
The 33-year-old, of Tanmeads, Nettlesworth, Chester le Street, County Durham, denied three offences of making indecent photographs of children, between July 2016 and January 2017, but was found guilty of all charges by a jury after a trial.
The 153 images which were recovered included 10 of the most serious category of their type.
At Newcastle Crown Court Judge James Adkin warned: "Downloading images provides a market for the abusers who film abuse of real children.
"So, by downloading them, you indirectly encourage sexual abuse of children, with all the terrible trauma and damage that causes to those young people."
Judge Adkin said Alison has not been in trouble before, has significant psychological issues, suffers from autism and is "reclusive".
The court heard Alison has been assessed as posing a "low risk of committing contact offences".
Alison was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with a four month nighttime curfew and an order to pay £500 costs.
He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by the terms of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.
Paul Fleming, defending, said Alison's future employment prospects are "uncertain" but he has worked in the past.
