A DOCK worker has appeared before the courts after friends sent extreme pornographic images to his phone for the “shock factor”.

Ryan Cole, of Darbys Close in Poole, had been sent a sexual image of a dead body by work colleagues. He also had an image of bestiality.

The 32-year-old was arrested for an unrelated matter on August 10 last year and police seized his mobile phone as part of their investigation.

The images were then discovered.

Cole appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court on Friday afternoon. He admitted two counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image.

Charles Nightingale, prosecuting, said: “The defendant’s phone was seized and examined.

“It was found to have eight images and 24 videos of extreme pornography."

There was no evidence any of the material had been distributed by Cole.

"He and his work colleagues had fallen into the habit of sending each other extreme pornographic images of one sort or another," Mr Nightingale said.

Leah Dillon, mitigating, said the images were sent via Whatsapp and saved automatically to Cole's photo folder.

"They were sent to him unsolicited," she said.

"He simply did not get around to deleting them. There was no sexual element to this whatsoever.

"It was for shock factor. That's just what they did - it was very laddish.

"They work at the docks and this is the sort of environment they work in."

Cole was fined £757 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £75 surcharge.