100 paedophiles circulated two million indecent images

More than two million indecent internet images of children were circulated by 100 child sex offenders convicted in the past 20 months, an NSPCC investigation found.

The children's charity said the "alarming" haul was enough to cover the football pitch at Wembley Stadium twice over.

One in four of the offenders held a "position of trust" allowing them direct contact with children, the study revealed.

These included teachers, school workers, clergymen, medical professionals, police officers and a social worker.

Nearly 50,000 photographs and videos confiscated were in the most serious categories of abuse, with some showing children and babies being raped by adults.

Diana Sutton, NSPCC head of public affairs and campaigns, said: "The scale of graphic child sex abuse pictures and videos over the internet is very alarming.

"The number of images seized in these cases is enough to cover the pitch at Wembley Stadium twice over - and this is just a sample.

"Many more people were convicted for possessing, making and distributing indecent images of children online during the same period.

"Children and babies are being seriously sexually assaulted to feed the demand for these photos and videos. And each time they are viewed, more degradation is heaped on the young victims."

The collection of images seized by police was revealed in a selection of news reports on court cases from across the UK studied by the charity.

Although a snapshot, the charity said it was the first time the number of online child abuse images being distributed had been counted in this way.

Each case included in the study resulted in criminal convictions.

The study showed 10% of those convicted had been hoarding child abuse images for five years or more before they were caught.

A third of offenders involved in the court hearings had shared files or distributed pictures of child sex abuse online.

One in six had a conviction for sexually assaulting or grooming a child for sex.

Ms Sutton said the investigation showed the battle against internet paedophiles was "far from won".

"Recent years have seen some welcome measures in the UK to drive child abuse images from the internet," she said.

"But the battle is far from won. Offenders are now trying to keep under the radar by using peer-to-peer file-sharing software instead.

"The NSPCC is calling on the next government to work with industry and law enforcement agencies on an action plan to combat peer-to-peer file sharing.

"Making the internet safer for children should be a priority for all Parliamentary candidates during the General Election campaign.

"In particular, we are calling on party leaders to show their commitment now to putting this disgusting industry out of business."

In December, Vanessa George, then 39, who worked at Little Ted's Nursery in Plymouth, Devon, was jailed indefinitely after a court heard how she "plumbed new depths of depravity" by abusing babies and toddlers in her care.