A HEAVY goods driver has been jailed for 18 months after police found degrading images of young children on his computer.

Officers raided the home of Darren Harper and found almost 40 moving and still images on his laptop.

Prosecutor Matthew Lawson told Southampton Crown Court one moving image revealed a nine-year-old girl looking terrified and in pain as she was being raped.

The material’s discovery came just weeks after Harper had received a community sentence at Dorchester Crown Court for similar offences.

Harper, 36, of Deacon Road, Southampton, admitted seven charges of possessing the images.

In mitigation, Richard Martin said he had been suffering from depression and feeling he had nothing to live for, gave into temptation.

“He is remorseful for what has happened and recognises he has a problem. Sending him to prison would destabilise and unsettle him. He has taken steps to sort himself out.”

But Recorder Ben Compton QC told Harper the other court had fired a warning shot across his bows and he would be failing in his public duty if he did not send him to prison.

Harper also received a three-year extended licence to give extra protection to the public.

It means he will remain under the supervision of the National Offender Management Service after his release from prison.