A PENSIONER has been put on a sex offenders' register after confessing in a 999 call to viewing sex images of children online.

Anthony Ryan Dickinson's wife called in police because she was worried about him not returning home on September 7, last year, said Reginald Bosomworth, prosecuting.

While officers were looking for him, the 68-year-old man made a 999 call to them from a phone box in Northallerton telling them about the sexual images of children and extreme pornography he had found and viewed on the internet, and sounded suicidal.

He was found later the same night and referred to mental health professionals.

Dickinson, of Rowntree Avenue, Clifton, pleaded guilty to six charges of possessing indecent images of children and eight of possessing extreme pornography.

Judge Jim Spencer QC, sitting at York Crown Court, told him: " You have been looking at things you should not have looked at. You yourself telephoned police when you could not stand it on your conscience any more.

"There is always a victim even though you cannot see it. These pictures have to be taken. These children and other people have to be subjected to that kind of treatment."

He gave Dickinson a 12-month prison sentence suspended for two years on condition that he does two years' supervision and a sex offender treatment programme. He also put him on the sex offenders' register for ten years and made him subject to a sexual offences prevention order that he has to provide the police on request with details of all his internet history.

Mr Bosomworth said police confiscated Dickinson's computer and found 453 images and videos of extreme pornography and 137 indecent images of children. They also found notebooks with underage sexual references.

Peter Byrne, defending, did not give any mitigation after the judge indicated he would suspend the sentence.