Police discovered more than 10,000 indecent images and movies on computers owned by a Rastrick student.
Officers searched the home of Alex Garth on June 30, 2014 after receiving intelligence that he was downloading such images.
Robert Galley prosecuting told Leeds Crown Court five computer devices were seized and the vast majority of the 10,360 images and movies recovered were found on memory sticks.
Of those 50 images and nine movies were at category A the most serious, 103 images and two movies at category B and 10,167 images and nine movies were at Category C. Many showed babies.
Mr Galley said some were thumbnails not immediately accessible or recoverable but had been viewed at some point and others were in the recycling bin.
He said nothing had previously been recorded against 21-year-old Garth.
Garth, of Holly Bank Road, Rastrick, admitted four charges of making indecent images or movies and was given a three-year community order with an activity requirement of up to 60 days including the sex offender treatment programme. He was also ordered to register as a sex offender for five years.
Judge Christopher Batty said he could have imposed a short prison sentence but that would mean Garth’s release within months without any work being done with him, when the importance for society was to prevent him acting in such a way again.
“The problem with people like you who look for these images and look at these images is that you are the market place. People like you are the reason why youngsters are abused in these horrific ways for your sexual gratification.
“If people did not want them the kids would not have to go through it, that’s what makes what you have done so serious. If probation can work with you to look at why you committed these offences there is a much greater chance you won’t do something like this again in which case the public are protected.”
He agreed the computer equipment could be destroyed but allowed 56 days for contact by Garth’s solicitors to recover any university work stored on them for him if it has not already been done so.
