A MAN was jailed yesterday for downloading child pornography from the Internet.

Alec Tranter's mother wept at Teesside Crown Court after the judge heard that he had apologised to her when police arrived at their home with a search warrant. They seized his computer, which was found to contain 522 indecent images of children.

Tranter, who is disabled, admitted he had been downloading child pornography for five months after accidentally stumbling on a website which was being investigated by the police, said Jim Withyman, prosecuting.

Matthew Harding, defending, said Tranter, 23, had been using the website to download music when he accidentally came across the pornography.

Mr Harding said: "He admits that he then went on and found more. When faced with the reality of the situation with the arrival of the police, he immediately admitted that he was responsible."

He said the probation service had prepared a treatment programme which would be better for Tranter and the public than jailing him.

Tranter, from Maude Street in Darlington, was jailed for nine months and ordered to register as a sex offender for seven years after he pleaded guilty to 17 offences of downloading and possessing indecent images of child pornography between January and May this year.