A paedophile from Stevenage who was caught with 845 indecent images of children has been given a community sentence.

Jamie Lynch, 49, admitted having the category C images when he appeared before Stevenage magistrates – who on Monday last week ordered him to attend the Horizon programme for sex offenders for 35 days over the next two years.

The bench, chaired by Robert Pinkham, also made him subject to a five-year sexual harm prevention order restricting his use of the internet.

Under this order, Lynch is among other things forbidden to use any device hiding his history of sites visited, to amend or delete his internet history, or to possess any device capable of storing digital images or movies unless police can inspect it on request.

The court ordered the computer tower on which the images were discovered in June last year to be forfeited and destroyed.

In addition to his community order, Lynch must complete a rehabilitation activity requirement, and pay a £100 fine, £85 costs and £85 surcharge.