A MAN who downloaded indecent images of children for ten years has been ordered to attend a stringent rehabilitation course.

When police raided Stephen Cawley's Leigh home they seized his computer which was found to contain 31 pornographic films of youngsters - including five in the most serious category - when it was analysed it.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday that when officers arrived on April 12 Cawley admitted having such images, saying, "I'll show you where they are, on-one else was involved."

As well as the films he also had an extreme pornographic image.

Cawley, aged 53, said that he had used emails to download the images and had been doing so for ten years. He had deleted them and had deletion software, said Ben Jones, prosecuting.

Cawley, of Manchester Road, pleaded guilty to possessing 31 indecent images and possessing an extreme pornographic image.

A judge imposed a three-year community order with attendance on the stringent Northumbria sex offenders programme.

He was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years and a Sex Offences Prevention Order restricting his internet use for seven years.

Andrew McInnes, defending, said that since his arrest Cawley, who has never been in trouble before, has taken steps to address his issues. He has been married for 15 years and his wife is standing by him.