A paedophile caught with sex abuse images on his iPhones sold paintings while in prison to raise cash for children’s charities, a court heard.

Tyrone Triggs, 39, was sentenced to six years behind bars in 2018 for stabbing a man in the chest in Trowbridge a year earlier.

Swindon Crown Court this week heard that unrelated allegations resulted in police analysing two of Triggs’ iPhones while he was behind bars. On the smartphones they found 85 indecent images of children, including 54 in the very worst category and some that showed children as young as two being abused.

Search terms indicated he had trawled the net for the illegal pictures and videos, also looking for images depicting sex between family members.

Triggs, who appeared in court via video link from Winchester prison, admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

Matthew Harbinson, defending, said his client had progressed from an interest in hardcore pornography to looking at illegal images of children.

He was remorseful and had shown an insight into the impact of his offending on children. While in prison the talented artist had sold pictures in order to raise funds for charities supporting children. He himself had had a difficult upbringing and had been abused.

The court heard Triggs would have been released from prison already were it not for the latest case and had accommodation lined up for when he was allowed to leave jail.

Judge Peter Crabtree sentenced him to 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years, ordering he attend a sex offenders’ programme and complete 30 rehabilitation days.

The judge said: “Anyone who engages in downloading such images is fuelling an abhorrent trade which causes significant physical and psychological harm to young children.”

He must comply with a 10 year sexual harm prevention order and sign onto the sex offenders’ register.