A MAN who admitted possessing nearly 3,000 indecent images of children has been sentenced to three years in prison and banned from working with children for life.

Thomas Caulfield, 40, from Woodpeckers Lodge Gater Drive, Enfield, admitted a total of eight counts relating to indecent images and was today sentenced at Southwark Crown Court.

He was caught in April when police identified him as someone using a website which served as a meeting place for those with a sexual interest in children.

CPS London lawyer Sophia Esenwa said: “The photos are graded according to the strength of the image. They are ranked from level one up to level five, which are the most graphic.

“In total there were 2830 level one images, 19 level two images, 17 level three images, 50 level four images and 13 level 5 images.

“The Crown Prosecution Service is dedicated to bringing convictions against anyone who makes or goes in search of these kinds of images.

“Every child depicted in those images is a victim of this crime.”

Caulfield admitted six counts of making indecent photographs of a child, one count of possession of indecent photographs of a child and one count of distributing indecent photographs of a child.