A CHILD porn downloader has avoided a prison sentence.

Richard Travell was handed a three-year community order banning him from seeking employment likely to bring him into contact with children.

The 47-year-old, of Kent House Road, Beckenham, must not have children at his home or stay overnight at any address where children are present.

At a hearing at Croydon Crown Court in September, Travell pleaded guilty to six charges of possessing indecent images of children.

Prosecutor Philip Jones said police raided Travell's home on October 18 last year and took away his computer, which was found to contain 205 indecent images.

Travell had attempted to cover his tracks using specialist software.

He has two previous convictions for smuggling indecent material into the country and was jailed for six months in 1996.

After reading a report prepared by the probation service, Judge Simon Pratt issued the community order, with supervision to last for the same length of time.

Travell must also allow police into his home at any time to check his computer and will be on the Sex Offenders' Register for five years.

Sentencing him on December 1, Judge Pratt stressed if Travell broke any conditions, he would face jail.