A MAN was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register after indecent images of children were found on his computer.

Brian James, of Stead Lane in Kirkheaton, appeared before Kirklees magistrates yesterday. He admitted 11 charges of making an indecent image of a child.

The 66-year-old had 320 level one photographs of female children.

This is the lowest level on the scale of indecent images, showing erotic posing but no sexual activity.

The case had been adjourned for the Prosecution Service to consider cautioning James.

A District Judge was told that the images related to James’ subscribing to a news service.

Bill Astin, prosecuting, told magistrates that the offences first came to light in 2009.

He said that Lincolnshire Police were alerted to the images after a check on subscriptions to news groups on the Internet.

They were traced back to James’ computer and this was seized by police.

Magistrates were told that James only received a summons to attend court in February.

Mike Sisson-Pell, mitigating, was critical of how long the case had taken to come to court.

He said: “He went to the police station for an informal chat but found he was being interviewed formally for these images found on his computer. He gave a full and frank account to police as to how he came to download these images.

“Initially he thought they were models made to look younger but has accepted that they were not and were children.

“I couldn’t believe the delay – a three year delay is appalling in relation to something like this.

“The police had the material to deal with this for three years.”

Mr Sisson-Pell added that his client had never put a foot wrong previously.

Magistrates placed James on the Register for five years.

They also ordered him to pay a £90 fine as well as £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.