Child porn cleric sentenced

The Rev Darryl Gibbs faces a Church in Wales tribunal

A former college chaplain who downloaded child pornography from the Internet has escaped jail.

Rev Darryl Gibbs, who left his post at Carmarthenshire College before his arrest, was conditionally discharged for 12 months and ordered to pay £250 towards the prosecution costs.

Swansea Crown Court heard how Gibbs, who had also served as a curate in Llandysul, was caught after a malicious allegation was made against him.

Although the allegation proved unfounded police who examined the hard drives of his personal computer found two indecent images of boys under the age of 16.

Gibbs told police he had toured homosexual websites but had not searched for pictures of under aged boys.

One had appeared on his computer by accident and the second had been sent to him in an e mail from a man he exchanged messages with in a gay chat room.

Disciplinary tribunal

Gibbs, 31, had previously admitted two offences of making an indecent image and was before the court for sentencing.

His barrister, Dean Pulling, told the court a Church in Wales disciplinary tribunal had been set up to decide his future.

He was to have become the vicar of Ynysybwl near Pontypridd.

Judge Michael Burr said the offences had had "dreadful consequences" for Gibbs, who had already resigned his post at Ynysybwl.

The consequences, he said, demonstrated the dangers of someone in Gibbs' position becoming involved in "this type of activity."

Judge Burr accepted the images were low in number and fell into the lowest category of indecency.