A Wellington man's been sentenced to home detention after Customs raided his home and found more than 20,000 child abuse images

Open Justice reports the 28-year old's tearful mother spoke in her son's defence at his sentencing in Wellington District Court.

She told Judge Noel Sainsbury he'd been dealt a bad hand, with his father and stepfather introducing him to pornography at a young age.

On five charges of possession of an objectionable publication, the man was sentenced to 10 months of home detention and was placed on the child sex offender register.