Reeves' case was heard at Canterbury crown court

by Alex Claridge

An interior decor firm manager caught ogling sick child porn threatened to throw himself a under a train or bus if he was ever freed.

Balding Malcolm Reeves appeared at Canterbury Crown Court to be sentenced for one count of possessing an extreme pornographic image and four of possessing pornographic images of children.

The 49-year-old was released immediately, having spent 63 days in custody and will have to undergo sex offender treatment.

He was arrested after police seized a laptop from his home in Stanley Road, Herne Bay, and discovered that he had watched videos of children aged eight to 10 being abused.

But while in custody, Reeves refused to come out of his cell for interview.

Prosecutor Donna East said Reeves told officers: "I'm refusing to leave this cell. I have done what I have done and I want to die.

"If I am released, I will throw myself under the nearest car, bus or train.

"People who do this sort of thing should be hung and I just want to be left here to die."

Ms East had earlier told the court that officers from the child exploitation unit had visited Reeves' home on June 13 after receiving a tip-off about his activities.

He was at work at Crown Products in the Eddington Business Park in Herne Bay at the time and said he would return home.

He instead went to Dover where he was picked up by officers 12 hours later and having taken 32 paracetamol in a bid to overdose.

An examination of his computer showed that he had watched child sex videos ranging in seriousness from level one to four, with five the most serious.

Alice Dobbie, defending, described her client's crimes as "shameful convictions for a man of previous good character" which came after the break-up of an eight-year relationship.

She said: "He feels great remorse for the position he has put himself in and accepts the responsibility was his alone.

"He was in a good job earning £40,000 a year as a manager at Crown Products and has been completely open with his employer about the nature of his convictions."

Judge James O'Mahony told Reeves that real children had been abused so that trade in pornographic images could exist.

He went on: "You said yourself that people who do this sort of thing should be hung. I'm not saying that, but your perception probably chimes with a great deal of people in the community - it's a horrible offence.

"I think it's abhorrent to you and you have suffered and will continue to suffer for what you have done. Nothing can justify it or excuse it, but there is hope for you."

Releasing Reeves, the judge gave him a 24-month community order with a requirement that he undergoes a sex offender treatment programme.

He was also given a five-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order.