Official sacked over porn at work

Gareth Roache, 31, was sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court for downloading the indecent images from the internet.

Judge Elgan Edwards said he would have liked to have jailed him, but could not because of changes in the Court of Appeal rules.

The court heard he had lost his job and had been forced to move out of his home after 170 indecent photographs of children were found in his flat.

Roache, a bachelor, admitting possessing indecent photographs, as well as making indecent photographs by printing them out.

Ieuan Morris, prosecuting, told the court how Roache's secret came to light after he was questioned by police about drink-driving.

Mr Morris said: "The police suspected he may also be in possession of drugs and searched his flat in Cardiff Bay.

Both sexes

"There they found 170 obscene, vile and stomach-churning photographs, all printed out on Patents Office stationery."

The photographs showed children of both sexes aged between a few months old and 14 years.

Janet Treharne, defending, said Roache had since moved to London and had now overcome his "addiction" to pornography.

She said: "He is on the road to self-help. He has a new job helping unemployed people into work.

Destroyed

"He was bored when he worked at the Patents Office but now he is doing something worthwhile."

Miss Treharne added that Roache was in the process of disposing of all his indecent photographs when he was caught, and had already destroyed 40 pictures.

Judge Elgan Edwards told Roache: "These pictures are disgusting and I cannot understand what sort of satisfaction you get from them."

Sentencing Roache to a two-year community rehabilitation order, the judge said he would like to impose a jail sentence but could not because of new Court of Appeal rules.

He said: "If the public had the misfortune to see these vile images, they would expect you to go to prison. I agree with them but the Court of Appeal does not."

Roache will also be on the sex offenders register for five years and is banned from working with children.