A TAXI driver who had more than 1,000 videos of the most "colossal, life-destroying" child pornography has been spared jail time.

Lee Whiteland, 53, of Church Lane, Ryde, appeared before the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Friday.

He admitted six counts of making indecent images of a child between June 9, 2018, and May 11, 2019.

The court heard from prosecutor, William Saunders, how police had conducted a search of Whiteland's address, seizing two laptops, a mobile phone, a tablet and a separate hard drive.

In an interview with police, Whiteland admitted downloading and watching child pornography.

He told police he had been doing it for ten years, stating "adult porn was no longer enough".

He said he didn't have many friends and spent most of his time playing games at home and watching pornography.

Mr Saunders told the court Whiteland had downloaded videos ­— wasn't interested in still images ­— and visited sites not apparent on mainstream search engines.

Whiteland, who has children of his own ­who are now adults, was found to have a large collection of more than 3,000 items, of which 1,700 were Category A ­— the worst kind.

Simon Moger, defending, said Whiteland was a man of no previous convictions, who had made frank admissions and had been candid about his behaviour.

He said it had been a combination of boredom, isolation and his having no sexual relationship that had led him down such a path.

Mr Moger said Whiteland had made attempts to end his own life, and didn't want to find himself in such a position ever again.

Recorder Simon Levene said the evidence was of the most colossal, life-destroying kind, and that harm had been done to those children for people like Whiteland.

Whiteland was jailed for 12 months, suspended for two years, and was given a two-year community order to include 35 rehabilitation days.

He was was given a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to pay costs of £425.