A 24-YEAR-OLD man has admitted making indecent images of children after being caught sharing the content on Twitter.

Marcus Turner, of Bristol Road, Quedgeley, tweeted pictures and added inappropriate messages.

Some of the images found on his computers showed young children being raped, Gloucester Crown Court was told on Friday.

Turner admitted three offences of making indecent images of children, one of distributing indecent images and one of possessing extreme pornography showing women having sex with horses and dogs.

The offences were dated between March 2015 and May this year.

Judge Robert Linford sentenced Turner to a three year community order with a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement and an order to attend an internet sex offender programme.

Turner was also fined £200 and will have to sign the sex offender register for five years. The judge also made a five year sexual harm prevention order against him.

Judge Linford told Turner: "As a result of reports to the police about concerns regarding your Twitter account they raided you and seized your computers.

"Found on them was material depicting the sexual abuse of children.

"You need to understand that these were real little boys and little girls who were being raped.

"Somewhere, in some part of the world, a child was being raped and you were getting your kicks out of it.

"This material is disgusting.

"But when arrested you did co-operate with the police. You are now receiving specialist counselling because of what you have done. Even so, you have come very close indeed to going inside today."

Juian Kesner, prosecuting, said police who had been alerted to the Twitter feed traced the account to Turner's address and raided it.

Found were seven Category A videos - the worst kind - of victims aged 9-16 being raped. There were 65 minutes of such film.

Two Category B still images of boys aged 7-12 engaged in sexual touching were also found, along with 231 Category C pictures of children Mr Kesner said: "On his Twitter account he was talking to other people, I presume men, who shared his interest in children.

"One message sent by him said 'Yeah, she's hot.' He sent some pictures with it.

"In another message he said 'Couple of pics for you. Let me know if you want to trade.'

Judge Linford told defence solicitor Sarah Jenkins that having read all the reports and references for Turner he was prepared to pass a non custodial sentence.