A MAN downloaded 448 indecent images of children out of "curiosity", a court heard.

David Butler, 54, who had a part time job working with children, admitted three counts of possessing child abuse images.

Police had arrested him at his home in Burnaby Road, Alum Chine, on March 13 this year, after receiving intelligence linking him to illicit material on a file sharing website.

Of the images, 18 were in the most serious category.

Prosecutor Tony Bailey said Butler had told police he began using the site to download music, but later "his curiosity drew him to visit various sites where there were indecent child images".

"He said that after he had viewed these images he had deleted them," Mr Bailey said.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard Butler told police the images had "just cropped up", but later admitted to having searched for images of "10-year-olds" on his computer.

In mitigation, Robin Leach said his client had been "slightly naive" at the outset.

"He is full of remorse," he said.

"He didn't intend to harm anyone by doing what he did.

"He didn't share the information with anyone else, he just feels very sorry for what he did."

He said Butler had lost his job as a result of his actions.

Handing Butler a two year community order, with a requirement that he attend a rehabilitation programme, Judge Peter Johnson said sentencing guidelines required that such offenders not be jailed where they could be rehabilitated.

"I accept, as it seems to be accepted by the Crown, that this was a form of experimentation on your part," he said.

"But it has had serious consequences."

Butler was made subject to a five year Sexual Harm Prevention Order and required to sign the register as a sex offender for the same period.