A REDDITCH man who had had a "pathetic" sex life has escaped a jail sentence for downloading child porn.

Andrew Greenfield, of Sycamore Avenue, Redditch, was still in denial after a jury found him guilty of making nearly 1,000 images mainly of boys aged from nine to 15, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Alex Warren, defending, said police had taken computers from the home he had shared with his parents on May 22, 2014, and found the pictures which had been downloaded over a three year period from June, 2011.

The total of 983 still and moving images contained 51 at category A, the most serious.

Greenfield, 53, said he had not been responsible for downloading the images and they must have been put on before he bought the computers second hand.

He denied six charges but was found guilty at trial.

Paul Cook, defending, said Greenfield still lived at home with his parents and had had a "rather pathetic life in terms of sexual experiences" with his last relationship ending over 20 years ago.

He said the images had all been found in files that had been deleted and had not been used for regular viewing and two of the devices they were found on were about to be thrown away.

Recorder Anthony Lowe said Greenfield's sex life was not an excuse.

"There must be a number of elderly bachelors who do not look at child pornography," he said.

He said Greenfield was still in denial but he had to accept and understand that viewing the images was for sexual gratification.

"The reason these images are there is because people like you want to look at them and that keeps up the need for them to be produced," he told Greenfield.

"Not only are these children damaged but a future generation will be similarly exploited."

He said Greenfield had now been on bail for 25 months and it was a year since he had been charged.

He was given a total sentence of nine months suspended for two years with supervision and a requirement to attend a sex offenders programme.

He will also have to register as a sex offender for 10 years and is subject to an indefinite order restricting his use of computers.