Vicar downloaded abusive images

An Anglican vicar who downloaded images of child abuse has been given a suspended prison sentence.

One video viewed by the Reverend Paul Battersby, 58, of St Ambrose Church in Leyland, Lancashire, showed a girl being abused by her father.

Sentencing him to 34 weeks in jail, suspended for two years, the judge told him his actions were "disgraceful".

Battersby pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Preston Crown court to making three indecent images.

Judge Philip Sycamore told him: "You have breached the duty of responsibility in a most disgraceful way.

"Right-thinking members of society will probably feel a sense of repugnance towards you and your activities."

Son's discovery

He told Preston Crown Court that on balance his offences were best served by taking part in a community sex offenders' programme and unpaid work.

Battersby was arrested in May last year after his wife spoke to police when her 16-year-old son found indecent images and videos on a computer at the vicarage.

The video clip of the 10-year-old girl was classed as level five - the most serious category in child pornography investigations.

Mr Battersby, who previously worked as the vicar of St Mark's Church, in Witton, Lancashire, between 1999 and 2003, was suspended by the Church of England following his arrest.

He formerly worked as the National Youth Officer for the Church of England and was a school chaplain in Argentina.

The officer who led the investigation, Det Con Mick McKortel, said: "Mr Battersby admitted having sexual fantasies involving 12-year-old girls and he went on the internet and looked for and found such material.

"He has shown no remorse whatever for what he has done and he is lucky not to have been sent to prison."