by Julia Roberts

A former Medway council officer who downloaded child porn told police that "pretty girls are pretty girls", a court heard today.

Married father-of-two Andrew Shea said he found the pictures "attractive in an artistic sense" and viewed them out of curiosity.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the 42-year-old added he had been viewing adult porn since his late teens but his "problem" became worse following the death of his father.

A total of 212 images ranging across all levels of seriousness were found on his computer and laptop at his home in Tavistock Close, Rainham, in October last year.

Shea, who lived at the address with his wife Lucy and children, then aged four years old and six weeks, also had 31 extreme pornographic images.

He was suspended from his job within the council's leisure services department after the police investigation.

Shea admitted 10 offences of making indecent photographs of children between April 2008 and October last year.

He also pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing extreme pornographic images between January and October last year.

Imposing six months' imprisonment suspended for two years, Judge Martin Joy said Shea must attend the Home Office accredited Sex Offenders' Treatment Programme.

He also made Shea subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order banning him from using the internet for any purpose other than seeking employment, study, work, lawful recreation or purchasing of goods and services for five years.