Daniel Frogson, who starred in BBC’s His Dark Materials and was nominated for a BAFTA for his role in Joe All Alone, has been found guilty of downloading almost 850 abuse images involving children as young as three.

The 21-year-old had been viewing the pictures since he was 17 and Nottingham Crown Court heard how police found 165 images of the most serious category.

On Tuesday, Judge Steven Coupland handed him an eight-month jail sentence suspended for 24 months, Nottingham Post reports. Frogson must also attend a 43-day sex offender’s rehabilitation programme and the judge ordered him to carry out a further 15 rehabilitation sessions.

Frogson will be on the sex offender register for 10 years and received a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Coupland said: “The images I have seen are sickening. Each of them is a real child being abused for the pleasure of someone like you watching.

“It is made worse because of the number of them – there were 848 indecent images – and it is made worse by the length of time you were doing it. You told the probation officer you do not have a sexual interest in children. I don’t accept that.”

Nicola Patten, prosecuting, said: “Two devices were seized and the defendant was arrested. On them were 165 category A images, 88 category B and 592 category C. There were also three prohibited images of children and search terms showing a sexual interest in children.

“He was interviewed twice in 2023 and on both occasions answered ‘no comment’ to the question he was asked.”

Frogson pleaded guilty to possession of the indecent images and has no previous convictions.

Lauren Manuel, defending, said: “He did very well with his drama and acting and received a Bafta nomination for Joe All Alone where he played a young boy living at home having to deal with drug use.

“He is currently working in construction in between carrying out auditions and over the past 12 months has put his life on hold awaiting the outcome of this case.”

Joe All Alone aired on CBBC in 2018 and sees Frogson play a 13-year-old boy left behind by his mother and her boyfriend when they go away for a week.

It won the Children’s BAFTA Award for Best Drama and Frogson was nominated for Best Young Performer.

Additional reporting by Martin Naylor.