A Holbeach pensioner who downloaded child pornography has been given a suspended jail sentence at Lincoln Crown Court.
Robert Hughes had almost 500 indecent images of children including a number of films.
Sarah Lloyd, prosecuting, said Hughes was arrested in February this year after police raided his home and seized computer equipment.
Indecent images of both boys and girls were found on the computer with some of the children involved being as young as five years old.
Hughes (72), of Oakwood Glade, Holbeach, admitted five charges of making indecent images and three charges of possessing a total of 499 indecent images.
He was given an eight month jail sentence suspended for two years with two years supervision. Hughes was also ordered to complete a community sex offender group work programme and was placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years.
Judge Sean Morris told him “The reason why you are not going straight to prison is your prompt and early guilty plea and your recognition of your wrong doing.”
Felicity Gerry, defending, said Hughes had no previous convictions and is regarded by the probation service as someone they can work with to rehabilitate.