THE number of paedos jailed for hoarding child abuse images is falling and hit its lowest rate last year, figures show.
Only 17 per cent of 3,220 convicted were caged — half the 35.3 per cent of 2010.
The rest of the 2024 total — the second highest since records began 15 years ago — were handed a community order or suspended sentence, including ex-BBC anchor Huw Edwards.
Just five of the most serious offenders were given extended jail terms of up to ten years.
Edwards, 63, who admitted receiving 41 images, including two videos of young boy, got suspended jail in September.
His hoard included seven in Category A — the most severe kind.
It came a year after he was suspended when The Sun revealed he paid £35,000 to a teenager for naked photos.
Others spared jail were Ralph Harrington, 58, who downloaded 362,500 child abuse images and teacher Jacob Chouffot, 26, who had 1,000 Category A videos.
The Sun’s Keep Our Kids Safe campaign demands anyone convicted of possessing Category A images goes to prison.
It was backed by National Crime Agency chief Graeme Biggar, abuse survivors and child sexual exploitation charities.
Former Met Police detective Peter Bleksley said: “These astonishing figures show that as the problem escalates, the punishment diminishes.
“More and more of these vile paedophiles are accessing, creating and distributing these images, thereby creating more and more victims.”
The Ministry of Justice said: “Sentences are decided by independent judges.”
