A WOMAN who was arrested for distributing indecent pictures of children was caught again when she started downloaded dozens more images.

Bolton Crown Court heard how police raided Anna McKone's house in Catherine Street West, Horwich at 6.55am on April 20 2019 after the National Crime Agency had received a tip off from the Kik social media site that someone had uploaded three indecent pictures of children.

Bob Sastry, prosecuting, told the court how the upload was traced to the Virgin Media internet account used by 46-year-old McKone at her home.

"The defendant was the only person present at the address and she was arrested on suspicion of possessing and distributing indecent images of children," said Mr Sastry.

A phone, laptop and tablet were seized but while she was on bail police were informed that the same IP address was downloading more indecent pictures in July and August 2019.

Another raid was carried out on October 28 and this time a mini tablet and laptop were taken.

When analysed the devices were found to contain a total of 175 images of children aged five to 14 years, one image in the more serious category B and five other prohibited images.

A cleaning programme to delete images was found on one of the devices and the tablet had been used to search websites using terms such as "I'm a goddam paedophile".

Mr Sastry said, in a police interview, McKone made no comment but provided a statement.

"She accepted responsibility for the indecent images, provided an explanation as to why she may have been involved in that and set out some remorse," he said.

The Honorary Recorder of Bolton, Judge Martin Walsh said that reports about McKone had described her "difficult and complex background" and that the public could best be protected by her being supervised in the community for a lengthy period.

McKone pleaded guilty to distributing indecent images and two counts of downloading indecent images.

She was sentenced to a three year community order with 50 days of rehabilitation activities and was also placed on the sex offenders' register and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for seven years.

Judge Walsh told her: "I want to make it absolutely crystal clear that those people who are involved in the production of such material can expect to receive very significant custodial sentences.

"You are not to be sentenced for production of those images but nevertheless those who download images of this sort feed the interests of those who produce such foul imagery."