A FORMER prison officer who was found with indecent pictures of children in his home claimed he had downloaded them off his computer for research for his job.

Richard Carlyle was caught with the pictures after police searched his Evesham home after a tip-off, Droitwich Magistrates' Court heard yesterday.

Carlyle admitted taking the pictures during his first police interview, said Edward Soulsby, prosecuting.

"He said because he was a prison officer at Long Lartin and worked with sex offenders, he was doing it as part of his job," he said.

"Officers checked and he had no involvement in any such things and the research programme did not exist.

"He then admitted he did not taken any official research, but he wanted to understand why people committed the offences."

Carlyle, who now lives in Birmingham, admitted two counts of possessing indecent pictures of children, and three of making indecent pictures of children. The court was told how the 37-year-old father, who is separated from his wife, had resigned from his prison officer job, and was now working as a heavy goods vehicle driver.

No previous convictions

"This is a sad shame in view of his history - he had a tremendous job and it is all lost," said Judith Kenney, defending.

"He was working with serious offenders and as a result has got himself into these problems.

"This has been a huge, tremendous blow to him."

Carlyle was given a three-year community rehabilitation order, and was placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

Parts of his computer were confiscated, and he was banned from working with children under 18, and having any lone contact with under-18s.

He had no previous convictions.

Carlyle was also ordered to pay £118 court costs.