A COUPLE who found a USB stick in a supermarket car park were horrified when they put it in their computer to see if they could help return it to its owner.

It was full of the worst kind of child sex abuse photos and movies, with babies and children of all ages shown suffering horrendous abuse.

They took it to Newport Police Station and officers traced it to Steven Michael Wilson, 48, who worked at Vestas.

Police went to the Vestas wind turbine base in Stag Lane, Newport, to speak to the production assistant.

How his arrest and subsequent charge came about was laid bare at the Isle of Wight Crown Court on Thursday, when Wilson appeared for sentencing.

He had previously admitted three offences of making indecent photographs of a child, on June 7.

Rose Burns, prosecuting, said the couple found the USB stick on April 8, on the ground of a parking space, when they had finished their shopping.

The man put it in his computer to see if they could identify the owner, to return the stick, and was left 'physically sick' by what he saw, telling police 'I did not want that image in my head'.

Ms Burns said police took Wilson from his workplace to his home in Totland and accessed his laptop. It transpired the USB stick had been plugged in and images downloaded.

There were 578 indecent images and 165 movies, all ages of child and all categories, including 175 of the 'worst' type at Category A.

Ms Burns said they were 'shocking' images.

In interview, he told police he too had 'found' the USB stick in the middle of 2020, but Ms Burns said that couldn't have been correct as it had been first inserted into his laptop in 2016.

He said he had found the images and sorted them into files because he was autistic and that's what he did with files, but was about to take them to the police.

He denied any sexual gratification from the images and denied a sexual interest in children.

Gemma White, representing Wilson, said the relationship he was in had broken down and he had lost his employment directly as a result of the proceedings.

Wilson is diagnosed autistic and his parents had provided the court with a character reference.

Ms White urged the court to consider following the recommendation of the probation report, which was to hand him a community order.

He had no previous convictions and Ms White said he wished to express his remorse to the court.

Judge David Melville told Wilson: "It is a disgraceful fact that these images are ever made. One can see the children in pain, being abused. It's unspeakable. It is a disgraceful story and you participated in it."

He said there was no doubt the offences crossed the custody threshold, but he took into consideration it was Wilson's first offence and his mental health difficulties.

He handed Wilson, of St Saviour's Road, a three-year community order, to include 150 hours of unpaid work and 30 rehabilitation days. He must also pay a victim surcharge.