A Teignmouth postal worker was caught with nearly 34,000 child pornography pictures on his computer when police raided his home.

At Exeter Crown Court 40-year-old Steven Melhuish admitted 23 specimen charges of making indecent pictures and one of possessing indecent pictures.

He was caught in the nationwide Operation Ore which was launched after the FBI in America recovered credit card details from the child porn Landslide Productions internet site.

Melhuish's name was one of 7,000 handed to the National Crime Squad by the FBI.

When police raided the house where Melhuish lived with his elderly parents they seized computers and discs which later revealed 33,750 child pornography images. Melhuish who worked for the Royal Mail at the Exeter sorting office told police he was a regular internet user and often visited child porn sites and admitted he had been na??ve.

Melhuish of Fourth Avenue, Teignmouth denied three further charges of incitement to distribute indecent images and the prosecution decided not to proceed against him.

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and Melhuish was granted bail.

But he was warned by Judge John Neligan that granting him bail was no indication that he would not receive a prison sentence.

He was also ordered to sign on the Sex Offenders Register