A police raid on the home of an Aberporth man revealed he had been swapping child pornography with paedophiles across the world, a judge heard.

Ian Roberts, aged 48, of Brynglas, had been discussing child abuse with other people from Saudi Arabia to Puerto Rico.

Roberts admitted both possessing and distributing indecent images of children.

Jim Davis, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court how police seized a mobile phone and laptop after searching Roberts’ home under the Protection of Children Act.

The computer contained 29 videos of children being abused, 10 of them in the most serious category, A.

There were also 77 indecent still images, five in category A.

The mobile displayed 68 videos, 59 of them in category A.

Mr Davis said the children being abused were as young as five.

Further investigation showed that Roberts had been sending the images to other paedophiles.

“This was the quite deliberate exchange of child pornography,” said Mr Davis.

At first Roberts blamed a computer virus and then claimed others had access to his devices.

But after being presented with the evidence he entered pleas of guilty.

Roberts’ barrister, James Hartson, said Roberts had various issues to deal with and had cancelled the broadband connection at his home to stop him accessing the internet.

As Roberts was being sentenced he began shaking uncontrollably and said he could hear voices coming from the corner of the dock.

Judge Keith Thomas told Roberts his offending was serious, partly because it encouraged others to take such photographs and films in the first place.

He said Roberts deserved a prison sentence but the public would be better protected if he addressed his problems.

Roberts was made the subject of a three-year community order and told to complete 35 days of rehabilitation and a 12-month alcohol treatment programme. He was also made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order restricting his access to the internet and contact with children.