A MAN with a previous conviction for downloading indecent images of children was back in court six years later after “lapsing” back to his former ways.

Christopher Smith received a suspended nine-month prison sentence in April 2013 at Durham Crown Court after admitting 17 counts relating to the downloading and storage of such material.

But he returned to the court after a police raid at his home in Chester-le-Street in September last year, when computer equipment was seized.

Martin Towers, prosecuting, said, on examination, a computer hard drive was found to contain six offending images, two in the most serious category featuring the sexual abuse of girls aged between six and eight, were recovered.

Although four of the six images had been discarded, two were retained by Smith.

Mr Towers said: “The examiner found evidence that the defendant had been posing as a woman on chat sites, discussing paedophile activities with another user, and a link was found to a website linked with pre-teen models.

“In his interview, he accepted responsibility for all of the images, but he claimed not to be able to recall four of them, and said he had a ‘relapse’ late in 2016 and described himself as, ‘an idiot’.”

Mr Towers said the defendant was not in breach of the 2013 sentence, as it was suspended for two years.

Smith, 48, of Victor Terrace, Chester-le-Street, admitted two counts of making indecent photographs of a child for the latest offending.

Andrew Teate, mitigating, said despite trying to distance himself from such behaviour, like a recovering alcoholic who lapses back off the wagon, he had succumbed to his addiction, during a low moment, ant it only extended to six images.

Mr Teate said Smith, a valued maintenance technician in his working life, was only considered a “medium risk” of re-offending by the Probation Service. and had been open and forthright with police throughout.

Recorder Ian Atherton said despite the aggravating factor of the previous conviction, he accepted it was a brief “lapse” by the defendant, who had tried to overcome his penchant for looking at such material.

Passing a five-month sentence, suspended for two years, with 20 probation-supervised activity days, Recorder Atherton ordered Smith to pay £100 costs and £115 court surcharge.

As he was about to leave the dock, Recorder Atherton told him: “Christopher Smith, this is your last chance. I think you know that.”