A former maths teacher has avoided an immediate jail sentence for downloading film clips of child sex abuse from the internet.

Multiple sclerosis sufferer Jeremy Allison, pictured left, was said to have "experimented" at a time when he was depressed.

A judge wanted to order the 29-year-old father, of Balmoral Road, Gillingham, to attend a sex offenders' programme - but could not do so because he was in denial, despite pleading guilty.

Allison, who taught at Knole Academy, in Bradbourne Vale Road, Sevenoaks, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment - suspended for two years with supervision.

Maidstone Crown Court heard the movie files - two at the highest level of five and seven at four - were discovered in September last year after Allison asked a technician to look at his computer.

The expert took the computer away and contacted the police after spotting the files.

John Keal, prosecuting, said Allison told police he was a teacher who offered extra tuition in maths.

He said he looked at adult pornography, but made no comment about the clips.

Sara Haroon, defending, said Allison had effectively lost everything - including his good character, job, reputation and dignity.

"The offences were committed at a particularly low and lonely time in his life," she said. "He was struggling with his medical condition. One of the symptoms is acute depression."

Jeremy Allison was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court

Judge Charles Byers said guidelines for such offences gave a starting point of six months imprisonment.

With Allison's plea and good character he was looking at three months, of which he would serve about six weeks.

"It would mean release in the same situation as he is in now," he said. "I have to balance that with doing something constructive. I don't see the point, quite frankly, in locking people up for six weeks.

"Those who go on the Thames Valley sex offenders' course do not tend to re-offend, those who get locked up do."

But such a programme was not available to Allison because of his denials.

The judge said there should be a sex offenders' prevention order banning unsupervised contact with children under 16 because of Allison's "chosen walk of life".

He will be on the sex offenders' register for five years.