A former Scout leader who downloaded indecent images of children has been ordered to carry out more than 200 hours of unpaid work and made subject to a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Christopher McCann, who was leader of the 3rd Sevenoaks Scout group until he was suspended by the organisation, admitted to a court earlier this year he had downloaded the images after officers raided his home in Sevenoaks in April.

McCann, who used to lead the Scout group based in Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, even told officers he had probably been on a site he wasn’t meant to be on on more than one occasion.

His sentencing was adjourned and a pre-sentencing report was ordered.

He was granted bail to return to Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court to hear his fate on Monday, March 18.

After he’d admitted three counts of making indecent images of children in February, a spokesman for the Scouts said he was suspended from his role as soon as the allegations came to light.

The spokesman also said that there was no indication his crimes involved Scouting, but he would never be able to volunteer for the organisation again and that the safety of its young people is its number one priority.

In February, the court heard when the 61-year-old’s home was raided by police, his laptop was seized and analysis of the device showed he had seven of the worst kind of images, category A, eight category B images, as well as seven category namely C images.

McCann, of Moor Road, Sevenoaks, pleaded guilty to all three offences when he appeared at Sevenoaks Magistrates’ Court on February 19.

District Judge Stephen Leake heard his home was raided after police received information that indecent images were being downloaded from his address.

Sidumiso Moyo, prosecuting, said: “Officers searched his home following information indecent images were being accessed from his home address.

“He said to officers, ‘I think I probably have, on one occasion been on a site I wasn’t meant to, it was a couple of weekends ago’.”

The prosecutor also told the judge McCann was of previous good character.

After Judge Leake adjourned sentencing in February, he told McCann he was now subject to the notification requirements of the Sexual Offences Act and would need to go to a police station within three days of his court appearance to register with officers.

McCann returned to court on March 18 and was sentenced to a two-year community order which will see him carry out 250 hours of unpaid work. He must also attend 30 rehabilitation sessions with probation.

He was also placed on a five-year SHPO which means he will have to abide by strict rules about how he accesses the internet as well as other restrictions and being monitored by police and other agencies.