A PERVERT aged 76 downloaded almost 8,000 child porn images.

But Laurence Williams, of Honley, escaped jail when he appeared at Bradford Crown Court.

Instead the disgraced Williams was given a 12-month jail sentence, suspended for two years.

The pensioner who became obsessed with downloading disgusting child porn from the internet narrowly avoided an immediate prison sentence.

Police were tipped off by officers in Germany about Williams’ activities and when they seized computer equipment from his home in Burhouse Court, Honley, they found almost 8,000 still images and films.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that married Williams, who had no previous convictions, may have been downloading porn for up to three years.

Judge Jacqueline Davies was told that Williams had suffered a stroke last month, the day after he entered his guilty pleas to 21 charges of making indecent images of children.

The police analysis of Williams’ equipment revealed more than 130 still images and nearly 340 films at the most serious levels four and five.

After his arrest Williams told officers he had downloaded the images “out of interest” rather for sexual gratification.

“After downloading them he said he couldn’t be bothered to erase them,” said prosecutor Richard Davies.

After hearing details of the health problems suffered by both Williams and his wife, Judge Davies decided to suspend his 12-month prison sentence for two years.

He will also be subject to a two-month night-time curfew at his home and will be supervised by the probation service for the next two years.

Williams also has to pay the costs totalling £1,200 and as part of a 10-year sexual offences prevention order he is banned from using roads near to a local primary school during term time.

The pensioner, who walks with the aid of a stick, will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the next 10 years.

Lawyer Neil Murphy, for Williams, said his client had become obsessed with downloading images, but that had not led to any other sort of offending.

“In terms of his age, his health and his infirmity I would argue his risk to the general public and children in particular is low, ” said Mr Murphy.

Judge Davies said she had seen a selection of the images downloaded by Williams and she described the material as “appalling”.

The judge said she hoped Williams now realised how disgusting the material was and said he couldn’t have complained if he was sent to prison immediately.