INTERNATIONAL police co-operation has put a North Yorkshire sex offender behind bars for a “despicable act”.

Joseph Pearce, 39, distributed indecent pictures of a child online to a network of sex offenders, Victoria Hajba-Ward, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

He also downloaded images from the same group of people who had a sexual interest in children.

Pearce, 39, of Cecil Street, Harrogate, pleaded guilty to seven charges involving sexual pictures of children, including three of distributing them and one of downloading them.

After hearing details of his crimes, the Recorder of York, Judge Sean Morris, told him: “You are before the court for a despicable act.”

He said Pearce’s actions may have led to other people getting involved in sexual images of children.

“Other children may be abused because of you,” he told Pearce.

He read a letter from Pearce and a report from a probation officer who had interviewed Pearce.

“You are self-obsessed,” the judge told Pearce. “It is quite clear to me by the way your letter is written. It is all me, me, me.

“The pre-sentence report described you as being scripted in your reply.

“It is inconceivable than anything other than an immediate prison sentence is appropriate in a case like this.”

Pearce was jailed for two years. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order for the same length of time.

For him, Harry Crowson said when Pearce was arrested "his world came crashing down". He had made two suicide attempts, but was taking counselling to deal with issues from his "unpleasant childhood" and was changing his behaviour. He was supported by family members.

Ms Hajba-Ward said Pearce was part of a group of people on Kik social media. They sent him sexual pictures of children and he had sent them three.

But police in the USA realised what was going on and alerted North Yorkshire Police who went to Pearce's home. He hid the mobile phone he had been using for the illegal acts and despite a two-day search, detectives were unable to find it.