A FORMER Ministry of Defence photographer has been spared jail despite having hundreds of indecent images of children.

David Bowden claimed he had no sexual interest in children and instead was curious about the “mechanics” of extreme pornographic images between adults and animals.

The 68-year-old of Danesfield, Benfleet, appeared at Basildon Crown Court yesterday where he admitted making indecent photos of children, possessing extreme pornography and prohibited images.

John Oliver, prosecuting, told the court that following a raid on Bowden’s home on his birthday in 2018, more than a thousand images had been found.

These included 35 category A images – the most serious kind – plus ten category B and three category C images.

He also had four still images of extreme pornography and 83 moving images, plus 1,132 prohibited images.

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Mr Oliver said in his police interview Bowden had claimed he had the images because they downloaded along with many other legal pornographic images which he had accessed over several years.

Mr Oliver said the prosecution did not accept that explanation.

Mitigating, Mike Warren told the court that Bowden had previously been of good character and that he had worked as a photographer for the Ministry of Defence and then also the NHS.

Mr Warren highlighted that the case had taken considerable time to come through the courts and he was not given a postal requisition until June 2020.

Mr Warren said: “He stresses his apology and and expresses his understanding and there are hundreds of thousands of victims.”

Judge Samantha Cohen also refuted Bowden’s claim of no sexual interest in children.

She said; “Some of the children were toddlers and some were in obvious pain and distress.

“In your interview to the pre-sentence report writer you said that you have no sexual interest in children, and you were curious about the mechanics of extreme pornography of adults having sexual activity with animals.

“I reject the assertion that you have no sexual interest in children.”

Judge Cohen gave Bowden an eight month suspended prison sentence and a £500 fine, plus 40 hours of rehabilitation.