A father of two who downloaded more than 45,000 images and almost 500 videos of child porn has been jailed.

Andrew Bull, 41, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on Friday having earlier admitted 11 counts of making indecent images of children between March 2005 and October last year.

Matthew Walsh, prosecuting, said: “There are images within the total number of 46,974 still images and 494 videos that were described in interview as containing very young children, babies and toddlers.”

He added: “In general, and I paraphrase, he said his liking is not for very young children but girls in the age range of 10 and upwards.”

Bull, of Cross Hill Road, Adderbury, near Banbury, was caught when police raided his home in October. The items contained seven videos and 18 images rated at the most serious level.

Stephen Parker, defending, said his client, who has two teenage daughters and had been married for 18 years, was at a loss to explain why he had downloaded the pictures”.

He added: “He described his feeling of shame both at this time of offending and subsequently and indicated he feels considerable remorse for his actions.”

Judge Christopher Compston said: “Individuals are corrupted, goodness knows what damage it does.”

Bull was jailed for nine months, disqualified from working with children indefinitely and told to sign the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.