Pervert Dudley headteacher Ross Workman had hundreds of 'disgusting' child images

Ross Workman, aged 51, a former head of Oldswinford CoE Primary School in Stourbridge, had more than 500 sick images – 88 of which were placed in the worst category by police. Despite this, he was given a community order and walked free from the dock at Wolverhampton Crown Court yesterday.

The images – branded 'disgusting' by Judge James Burbidge QC – featured youngsters aged between eight and 12.

But they had been downloaded by Workman between January 5 and March 7, 2011, before he became headteacher and while he was taking a three-and-a-half-year break from the profession, it was said.

He had deleted all the images by the time the house in Orwell Close, Stourbridge – where he lived alone – was visited by the police from the Online Child Sexual Exploitation Team.

They seized his computer equipment for analysis on November 3, 2014, and had the specialist equipment necessary to retrieve deleted pictures and videos. He was not charged until January 4 this year and left his post on January 31.

Mr Nicholas Berry, prosecuting, said: "He said he regarded pornography as a stress reliever and looked at it most days. He admitted going through a phase of looking at indecent images of children. He said he knew it was wrong and tried to stop."

Mr Berry confirmed the offending images had been deleted and were only accessible through the special systems of the police.

Miss Judith Kenney, defending, declared: "He has paid a huge price for something he did a long time ago when his life was in turmoil. He is highly remorseful and has taken steps to address his offending."

Workman, now of Low Fold Close, Worcester, admitted six charges of making an indecent photograph or pseudo photograph of a child. He was given a three-year community order on condition he completes the sex offender treatment programme, was put on the Sex Offenders Register and banned from working with children.

Judge Burbidge told him: "You are an intelligent man described as honest, open, kind and considerate – but clearly you had a secret for some period in your life.

"You downloaded disgusting images but did not continue to view them.

"Your arrest came at a time when you taught children and were in a position of trust. One can only wonder what the parents thought, but there is no suggestion you breached that trust. You acted entirely appropriately while a headteacher."

He told Workman when giving him the community order: "I am able to do this because of the punishment you already received in losing the job you loved – and you gave up this practice before your arrest."