AN INTERNATIONAL operation to tackle internet child sex abuse has led to the prosecution of a York man who created and downloaded indecent images of children over a period of several years.

Operation Ore, the international project which saw about 50 men from North Yorkshire arrested last year as part of the internet crackdown, led to the prosecution in York Magistrates Court yesterday.

Kevin Holland, 44, of Hempland Avenue, Heworth, created nine indecent images of children between January 2000 and November last year.

He pleaded guilty to all nine charges and admitted downloading more than 150 indecent child images from the internet.

He was found to be in possession of 166 images on November 13 last year, when police swept the county as part of the national operation.

The computer and offending images were not seen in court by magistrates, but had been officially graded for severity by police.

The images which Holland had produced himself were found to be least severe, marked at one or two on the five-point scale.

The computer was found to contain images ranking up to four out of five on the scale of indecency.

Defending solicitor Colin Byrne said Holland had been hit very hard by the discovery, which he accepted was socially unacceptable.

But he said: "There has been a situation where suicide was contemplated to quite an extent, but not obviously achieved."

He said much of Holland's fear came from facing a custodial prison sentence.

He added to magistrates: "You could say today this is not a case that will attract a custodial sentence. It is almost in fact a fine or conditional discharge offence, but it is nowhere near a custodial sentence."

The presiding magistrate Karen Kenyon agreed.

She said: "The sentence will be up to a community punishment order, but custody will not feature in this."

Sentencing was adjourned until August 11 for a pre-sentencing report.

Holland was told he must co-operate with probation services and that his name was to be added to the sex offenders register for a period of time determined at sentencing.

Updated: 10:46 Tuesday, July 22, 2003