A MAN who sexually assaulted two young children after he became “addicted” to viewing indecent images of children has been jailed for five years and ordered to be on extended three year licence on his release.

Paul Gooch, of Thurlands Drove, Upwell, abused the young boy and girl who were under 10 and told them if they told anyone about what happened they would go to jail, Norwich Crown Court heard.

When Gooch, 55, was arrested for the sex assaults, police seized his computers and found he had downloaded indecent images of children and had 1265 images.

Lindsay Cox, prosecuting, said that even after he was arrested for these offences, police found he had obtained another computer and downloaded 17 indecent images of children and had been talking to another man in a chat room about having sex with young girls.

Gooch admitted sex assault on the boy and girl, and also possession of indecent images. He also admitted causing a child to watch an indecent movie, as he had forced one of his victims to watch a porn film.

Recorder James Wood jailed Gooch for five years and ordered that he be on extended three year licence for the “protection of the public.”

He also placed him on the sex offenders for life and made him subject to a sexual offences prevention order under which he must not have unsupervised contact with anyone under 16.

Guy Ayers, for Gooch, said that had not committed any sexual offences in the past and said the offences arose after he started viewing indecent images of children.

“He seems to have become sucked into the realms of child pornography. It got into his system.”

He added: “An addiction seems to have taken him over and lost all common sense.”