A Canterbury man who admitted making indecent images of children, has been given a community order and must undergo a sex offender treatment programme.

Richard Love, 21, of Warwick Road, was arrested after indecent images were found on a laptop he returned to Curry’s in July 2007.

The company contacted the police who examined another laptop bought by Love and found more indecent images.

He appeared for sentence at Canterbury Crown Court having admitted two offences of making indecent photographs of children and was given a three year community order with a condition he attends an internet sex offender treatment programme.

He must pay £150 costs and will be on the sex offender register and under a sex offence prevention order for five years. He also banned from working with children.

Roy Brown, prosecuting, said the images were eight video clips at levels one to three and two stills at level one.

Love said he had been exploring the internet for adult pornograpy and if child images were there, they had been downloaded accidentally.

Philip Rowley, for Love, said he had accepted some very good guidance and asked the court to accept recommendations in a pre-sentence report.

“His best mitigation is his age and the complete lack of sophistication in these offences,” he said.

Sentencing Love, Judge Adele Williams said she wasn’t sending him to prison because she believed he was misguided and could be helped to put the matters behind him.

She described what Love did as 'disgusting’.