A PAEDOPHILE who became ‘obsessed’ with a child before taking more than a thousand naked pictures of her has been spared jail.

Anthony Dunn groomed his vulnerable victim – who cannot be named for legal reasons – after he separated from his wife, before engaging in the sexual relationship with her.

The 27-year old, of Robins Court, Faringdon, was caught with messages on his phone discussing sexual activity as well as the haul of 1,662 indecent images of her.

He also engaged in sexual activity, giving her a ‘love bite’.

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Dunn went on to admit two counts of making indecent images, one count of sexual activity with a child and another of sexual communication with a child.

Oxford Crown Court heard at his sentencing hearing yesterday how Dunn had embarked on an illicit relationship with the child after he broke up with his partner.

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Prosecutors said that the victim had been ‘young and vulnerable’ at the time of the offences during 2017.

The alarm was first rung, the court heard, when a love bite was spotted on the girl and Dunn was later questioned by police before he was arrested.

After his arrest officers went on to seize a number of electronic items from his home, including an iPhone and a computer.

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Analysts uncovered a stash of indecent images of his child victim, including a large number of naked pictures of her and a video of the pair kissing.

Search terms using Google were also detailed including one which read ‘man groping school girl’.

Prosecutors at the sentencing hearing said that it must have been obvious to Dunn that his victim was both underage and vulnerable and that there was an element of grooming.

In mitigation his defence barrister Adrian Amer said that his client was remorseful for what he had done to the child victim.

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He said: “The defendant regrets very much giving the complainant a love bite and mercifully the activity didn’t go any further.

“In relation to the photographs, while they are bad enough, they are not the worst the courts have seen in this regard.

“The defendant acknowledges his behaviour was inappropriate and he expresses regret for his actions.”

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He added that Dunn was of low intelligence and may have undiagnosed learning difficulties.

The court went on to hear that Dunn had since reconciled with his wife and that they planned to continue their relationship.

Sentencing, Judge Zoe Smith ordered that Dunn be made subject to a suspended jail term of 12 months, suspended for 24 months.

He was also made subject to a community order for 24 months.

The order will include 25 days rehabilitation activity requirement, going on a sex offender educational course and 150 hours unpaid work.