A Belfast man has been jailed for two years for downloading and distributing pornographic images of children.

Belfast Crown Court placed Barry James Shaw on sex offender register for life

A 31-year-old Belfast man has been jailed for two years for downloading and distributing pornographic images of children.

Barry James Shaw, of Balfour Avenue in south Belfast, pleaded guilty to 24 charges of making indecent images and a further four of distributing indecent images on dates between February 2006 and August 2009. 

The charges cover a total of 4,630 images, including 28 movie files.

Belfast Crown Court was told that Shaw had also boasted on online chatrooms about his fantasies of raping, torturing and murdering babies.

He also had admitted to police that he wished he had snatched missing British child Madeleine McCann.

Shaw was jailed for two years after agreeing to a further three-year probation order.  

He was placed on the sex offenders' register for life.