A disgraced former long-serving police officer who downloaded more than 22,000 child sex abuse images has been jailed for just over three-and-a-half months.

Max Holway at first tried to blame a lodger for the disturbing images found on his computer.

But the 54-year-old ex-detective inspector last month admitted three offences of possessing indecent photos of children – 24 in the next to highest category of seriousness of B and 21,824 in the lowest category of C.

There were also 30 indecent movie clips in category C of scantily clad girls aged about 10.

Tonbridge-based Holway left the force in March last year “due to issues in relation to looking at pornography on the Kent Police system”, Maidstone Crown Court was told.

The sordid material was found when he took his laptop to a repair shop in Tunbridge Wells. Staff noticed it and informed the police.

Officers went to his home in Boyne Park, Tunbridge Wells, on July 27 last year and arrested him.

Holway said he bought the computer on eBay on June 21. The images were downloaded over six hours, five days later.

But he claimed he kept it on a table in his hallway where his lodger and visitors could have access. He denied searching for the images.

Prosecutor Dominic Connolly said Holway was released on bail pending examination of the computer.

The lodger was questioned and he denied any involvement in images or using the computer.

“His fall from grace was abrupt. He is having trouble facing up to it..." - Ed Fowler, defending

Mr Connolly said there were 10 sets of different girls over the age of 10 in the video clips.

Ed Fowler, defending, said having been in denial, Holway was able to “put a brave face on his predicament”.

“He was trying to shut down from that which he had done, but does have insight and needs help in tackling issues,” he said.

“His fall from grace was abrupt. He is having trouble facing up to it.

"He has been shunned by his friends and abused by strangers. He has moved away from the area.

“Behind that veneer, he has taken steps to address his offending. He has begun to turn his life around.”

Mr Fowler told Judge Charles Macdonald QC: “I ask you to view it as aberration in an otherwise hardworking and decent life.

“I ask the court to give the opportunity of professional help to identify the triggers and set about rebuilding the shattered ruins of his life.

“He appreciates that whatever sentence there will be, it will affect him for many years. There is genuine remorse.”

Judge Macdonald said he imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years to protect the public from the risk of sexual harm from Holway.

“Some of the victims are relatively young, but not extremely young,” he said.

“In mitigation, there is remorse. I think there is limited insight, having looked at the pre-sentence report.

“There is good character. The court is duty bound to pass a deterrent sentence, so it doesn’t carry a great deal of weight. There are no factors here to suspend.

“The appropriate punishment can only achieved by immediate custody.”

Holway’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.

He will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “As a police officer Holway should have been working to tackle this growing problem, but instead he helped fuel the vile online trade in child abuse images.

“His duty was to enforce the law and protect the communities in which he served.

"Instead, he betrayed the public’s trust and its right that he’s been brought to justice.

“To help tackle this growing problem the NSPCC is calling for more action from government, law enforcement and internet providers to prevent indecent images being published and circulated online.”