A paedophile caught with more than 700 child abuse images has avoided jail.

Rory Lord, 40, sat in the dock at Southampton Crown Court on Wednesday after admitting having more than 700 indecent images of children on his devices.

Southampton Magistrates Court had previously heard how on April 8, 2022 police were alerted to an upload of indecent images online.

After identifying Lord as a suspect, officers attended his address and searched his devices.

READ MORE: Man caught with hundreds of indecent images of children

Prosecuting, Anthony McCafferty said: “A search was conducted and his devices seized and searched.

“A total of 746 images were found on his devices. 133 of these were Category A – the most serious – 273 Category B, and 340 Category C.

“All children in the images were under the age of 16."

He added: “A bank card with someone else’s name on it was also found at the property.

“The defendant accepted that he found the card and was going to keep it. It is not linked to the indecent images.”

Lord, of Somers Way in Eastleigh, admitted three charges of possessing indecent photograph/pseudo-photograph of a child and theft.

On Wednesday, Judge Christopher Parker KC sentenced Lord to eight months in prison suspended for two years.