A GRANDFATHER has been sentenced to a three-year community order after police found cartoon images of child sex abuse on his computer.

Geoffrey Brown, 69, of Broomsfield Lane, Barton, Northwich, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent pseudo-photographs of a child between May 11 and 16 last year.

One was deemed to be of the most disgusting category A, with two at category B and three that fell into category C.

The married father-of-three also admitted possessing a prohibited image of a child as well as an extreme pornographic image of a person having sex with a dog.

As part of his community order he must undertake a sex offenders treatment programme and pay a fine of £375.

He must also sign on the sex offenders register for five years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), which limits his internet use and allows police to monitor his online habits.

Chester Magistrates Court heard today (Monday, January 29) that police officers had been alerted to an IP address linked to Brown's computer that was being used to share indecent images.

They attended his home and seized a number of devices, which were analyzed and found to contain the grim pictures.

Brown initially denied any knowledge of the images during police interview but soon after made “full and frank admissions”.

Adrian Evans, defending, stressed that Brown was a family man of previous good character who had accepted his guilt.

He told the court the images had been viewed and shared over a very short period of time and the “vast majority” were pseudo-images, or cartoons.

“There is no suggestion whatsoever that at any stage he has acted improperly towards any children known to him,” Mr Evans added.

Brown, who is about to undergo treatment for prostate cancer, must also pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £85. The computer and laptop which contained the images will be destroyed.