Disgraced prison officer downloaded hundreds of indecent child images at his home in West Yorkshire

Scott Walker was arrested after police received intelligence that he had been accessing illegal images on computer equipment linked to his home address in Dewsbury.

Leeds Crown Court heard digital forensic officers from West Yorkshire Police executed a search warrant at the property on July 25, 2019.

Kate Bisset, prosecuting, said equipment was analysed and images were recovered from a lap top.

The prosecutor said 250 images were at category A - the most serious level of offending.

A further 335 images were at category B and 385 were at category C.

Walker had accessed the images over a "prolonged" period between December 2018 and July 2019.

The 32-year-old was interviewed and admitted the lap top belonged to him.

The defendant claimed his friends had unsupervised access to the lap top and told officers that the images "made him feel sick."

Walker, of Sackville Street, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of a child.

John Batchelor, mitigating, said Walker eventually accepted responsibility and sought help to preventing him re-offending.

Mr Batchelor said Walker had lost his job as a prison officer but had managed to find a new job as a parts adviser for Toyota.

The barrister said: "Thank goodness he had the good sense to accept responsibility and plead guilty."

"He recognises that he needs help.

"I don't think you will see this defendant in court again."

He was also ordered to complete a 25-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

Walker was also given an electronically-tagged curfew order for four months and told he must go on the sex offender register for ten years.

Judge Christopher Batty said: "It must have been a very difficult two years since these offences came to light.

"Very difficult for you, very difficult for your mum and dad and it is a very sad day today to see you here in these circumstances.

"The important thing is that you have accepted what you have done and you have been very frank.

"There is still work to be done, and because there is work to be done and the work being offered in very helpful, I am going down that road rather than sending you to immediate custody."