A FATHER-of-three walked free from court after a judge heard he downloaded pornographic videos of children by accident.

Graham Evans, 44, admitted two counts of possession of indecent images of children including one level five video - the most serious.

But Evans, of Lock Crescent, Kidlington, was given a conditional discharge at Oxford Crown Court on Monday because he mistakenly downloaded the images in a bulk of more than 140 music and other pornographic files.

Prosecuting, Peter Coombe, told the court Evans was initially offered a caution by police, but he continued to deny wrongdoing until changing his plea halfway through a trial last month.

Police found two videos on Evans' computer, ranked at levels two and five, after an investigation into file-sharing by Thames Valley Police's High Tech Crime Unit, Mr Coombe added.

Julia Flanaghan, defending, said Evans admitted he downloaded the videos but said he never watched them and was unaware they had been stored.

She said: "They were part of a huge download of 143 files and as he has difficulty with literacy, it was a case of downloading a large amount and going through it all later.

"He apologises for clicking on these files. He is someone who is repulsed by the idea of children being used in pornography and accepts full responsibility - he should have shown greater care over his own downloading on that occasion."

The material was downloaded from a website called Limewire. Mr Coombe said the investigation revealed Evans clicked on at least four more indecent images but it was unclear whether they had been watched.

Evans resigned as an Oxford City Council maintenance engineer earlier this year when charged, and plans to train as a plumber.

Ordering him to sign the sex offenders' register for five years, Judge Julian Hall told Evans to pay £1,000 costs for wasting police and court time.

Judge Hall said: "There are offenders in this field who better deserve the police and court's time, and I don't think you will ever do this again. I don't think you are a danger to children. I think you've learned your lesson."

Investigating officer PC Simon O'Brien said: "Just because you have a few images compared to those who have thousands stored we are still going to pursue you.

"Originally, we said 'you have not got a lot so you can have a caution and go on the sex offenders register', which is the most important aspect for us, but he refused.

"I am quite pleased with the sentence and especially the judge's comments that he wasted police and court time."