A PENSIONER who downloaded indecent images has been told by a judge he was “creating a market” for the abuse of children.

Brian Brinkley, of Welford Gardens, Abingdon, admitted one count of making indecent photographs of children and was sentenced yesterday at Oxford Crown Court.

Henry James, prosecuting, said the 65-year-old was arrested on March 12 last year after he used a website that was being monitored by the police.

He said officers found 339 images on his laptop, including 53 and three videos which were classified as being level four, the second most extreme category.

Mr James said Brinkley broke down in tears when the police arrived.

He told them he had tried to stop accessing the images, even asking his wife to remove computers from the house.

Tom Stevens, defending, said: “This is a man of otherwise good character who is filled with a tremendous sense of shame. A man deep with regret who has shown a genuine sense of remorse for becoming involved in this.”

Judge Ian Pringle said: “Anyone who thinks there is no real victim in these cases is deluding themselves.

“People who download such images are creating a market for the abuse of young children.”

Brinkley received a community order for two years with supervision, a sex offender programme requirement and was made subject to a sexual offences prevention order. He will also be on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years.