THE father of murdered Jenny Nicholl was spared jail today after he pleaded guilty to making indecent photographs of children from the Internet.

Major Brian Nicholl, 49, had over 2,000 child porn photos on his computer which police seized after 19-year-old Jenny vanished from their home in Richmond, North Yorkshire, last June.

Detectives say the teenage shop worker was murdered but her body has not been found despite a huge police search and publicity campaign.

Nicholl, of Bolton Avenue, was sentenced to three years community rehabilitation after he pleaded guilty to 16 specimen charges dating between 28 May last year and 18 June, including a shot of a baby aged 12- to 18-months with a naked man.

He was ordered to undergo a 43-day sex offender's course run by Northumbria Probation Service, and was banned for life from working with children.

Teesside Crown Court heard that Nicholls life had been destroyed by the disappearance of his daughter, who would now be aged 20.