A MAN sentenced to life after exchanging letters about his desires to rape, abduct and kill young girls will be eligible for release on parole two years earlier after an Appeal Court ruling yesterday.

Peter Leighton, of Hutton Avenue, Hartlepool, was convicted of two counts of conspiracy to rape following a trial at Teesside Crown Court last November.

He had pleaded guilty to possessing, advertising and distributing indecent photographs of children the previous week.

Three Appeal Court judges yesterday upheld his life sentence, but reduced the length of time he must spend in prison before being considered for parole from seven-and-a-half years to five-and-a-half.

The offences came to light after a box of letters, written in 1995, was discovered in a room that had been occupied by Leighton, the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Woolf, told the court.

The letters contained details of adults raping children, and adults planning to abduct, rape and in some cases kill children.

There were also large quantities of photographs of children which were of an indecent nature and quantities of drawings of adults committing sexual acts with children.

Leighton denied having any intention to rape children, saying he had corresponded with two men he met in an Internet sex chat room to encourage them to buy pornography.

Timothy Roberts, representing Leighton, had earlier told the court his client did not deserve a life sentence.

"These were victimless offences and there was no harm done to any person," he told Lord Woolf, who was sitting with Mrs Justice Steel and Mr Justice Butterfleld.