A MAN who desperately tried to destroy a tablet that contained more than 10,000 images of children after police knocked at his door appeared before the court.

Liam Rothery, 32, of Ceda Park, Whitehaven, failed to answer the door to officers when they knocked at about 7.10am on November 7. They returned 50 minutes later and Rothery let them in to the property.

Carlisle Crown Court heard how, in that time Rothery, had tried destroying evidence of the indecent images by attempting a factory reset of an Ipad device and couldn't be accessed.

However, Rothery also had a Samsung tablet which he dunked in a dish full of water.

Prosecutor Sarah Griffin explained: “The tablet was in a plastic bag. He admitted it was to destroy evidence.”

Police were able to recover vital evidence from the tablet using specialist software, and it was on this device they discovered that, during a 16-day period, Rothery had downloaded seven category B images of girls ages eight, and 10,000 category C images showing girls aged between six and seven.

His internet search history was also said to show a “clear interest in young girls”.

Rothery made full admissions when questioned by police and quickly admitted making indecent images of children and doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of justice.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin imposed a 36-month community order. As part of this order, Rothery must complete an accredited sex offenders' course, 150 hours of unpaid work and rehabilitation requirement. He must also sign the sex offenders' register for five years and observe the terms of a sexual harm prevention order.

Recorder Rankin said: “This was a clear and quite deliberate attempt on your part to destroy evidence as to what it was you had been up to which was partly successful.”