Teacher had indecent child images

A teacher who admitted possessing and making indecent images of children has been given a suspended sentence.

Stephen Royle, 53, of Spelding Drive, Wigan, admitted possessing indecent images and 16 counts of making indecent images of children.

A judge at Liverpool Crown Court sentenced him to 34 weeks imprisonment suspended for two years.

He was given a supervision order for two years and must take part in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme.

He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for five years and was made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for an indefinite period.

Royle, who was an IT teacher at Lowton High School, Wigan, at the time of the offences, was arrested on 13 November 2007.

His home was searched and officers seized computer equipment.

The court heard that some of the images of the children, aged between about seven and 12, were found on his school laptop as well as his home computer.

A total of 58 images were found in active files and a further 890 in files which had been viewed and then deleted or not stored.