A BUSINESSMAN who downloaded child pornography from the internet has "ruined himself", said a York judge.

Michael Powell, 55, was sentenced to 150 hours' community punishment by Judge Jim Bentley QC at York Crown Court after admitting nine child pornography offences.

Powell, of Leigh House, Main Street, Church Fenton, had pleaded guilty before Selby magistrates on April 3 to eight counts of making an indecent photograph of a child and one count of possessing an indecent photograph of a child. His arrest was a result of information gathered as part of the Operation Ore investigation into child pornography on the internet.

Experts discovered 197 indecent images of young girls after officers seized a computer, laptop and disks from Powell's home on November 25, 2002. The images were downloaded over a period from February 1999 until October 2002.

Geraldine Kelly, prosecuting, said the level of seriousness of this kind of offence was on a one to five sentencing scale, the most serious being level five. She said one of the photographs was considered to be level four and several others were classed as level three. Representing Powell, Jeremy Hill-Baker told the court that he was a man of previous good character who had co-operated fully with the police investigation.

"The effect upon him of the publicity has been devastating," said Mr Hill-Baker.

"His house in Church Fenton, where he had previously enjoyed a good reputation, is up for sale. He and his wife have been subject to local hostility."

He said that Powell had lost many long-term business clients because of his actions and was living off his savings.

Judge Spencer told Powell: "You are aged 55 years and you have ruined yourself - all at a stage of life when things should be more stable. You have only yourself to blame. And only because you could not control your interest in pornography.

"It is a criminal offence because it means somewhere in the world those children are being abused."

He ordered that Powell be put on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

Updated: 12:07 Saturday, May 03, 2003