by Keith Hunt

Roger Brown - a school caretaker and youth cricket coach who downloaded "repulsive" child sex abuse images from the internet - has avoided a jail sentence.

Brown, who was also involved in the combined cadet force at Maidstone Grammar School, walked free after a judge said he wanted to do something "constructive and not destructive".

The 50-year-old bachelor was handed a nine-month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to attend a sex offender programme. He will be under supervision for three years and his name will appear on the sex offenders' register.

Brown, of Greenfields, Maidstone, denied nine charges of making indecent images of children but was convicted by a jury last month.

Recorder Jeremy Gold, QC, said if Brown had not since admitted his guilt, he would have imposed an immediate prison sentence.

He said: "I acknowledge it is difficult for anyone to come to terms with this sort of secretive and repulsive behaviour. He is deeply ashamed, no doubt, and rightly so."

Maidstone Crown Court heard Brown, who lived at the school gatehouse, was arrested after he used his credit card to pay to access the images.

Deborah Charles, prosecuting, said he filled in a registration form, giving his name, address and password “Loose CC4” and email address. The password stood for Loose Cricket Club, where he was the youth cricket coach.

Police searched his home in August last year and took away computer equipment.

Asked if anything would be found, he said he had an interest in naturism and looked at sites that had nude children on them.

Officers discovered 193 images of children – one at the highest level of five, 16 at level four, 29 at level three, four at level two and 93 at level one.