A 56-YEAR-OLD sex offender with previous convictions has been put on a sex offenders programme rather than being sent to prison because jail would do no good.

Judge Jeffrey Rucker imposed a three-year supervision order on 56-year-old Christopher Lamport to attend another sex offenders' programme rather than to go to jail for a short period saying that it was better for the community.

Lamport, of Wheal Silver, Redruth, had earlier pleaded guilty at Truro Crown Court to three offences involving the making, possessing and distribution of indecent photographs of children.

Prosecutor Philip Lee said that following the arrest of a man in Devon in October last year, investigations led to Lamport and on his mobile phone were found 16 indecent pictures of boys aged six to ten years and a young girl. The pictures were of the lowest level of seriousness.

Lamport, he said, had relevant previous convictions including an eight year jail sentence in 1995.

Judge Rucker commented that if anyone thought the sentence he was imposing was ridiculously lenient, in fact the programme, which had a very high success rate, was very demanding. Lamport had pleaded guilty and recognised his problems, and was willing to change, and it would be very unwise to send him to prison for a short time which would achieve nothing.

The Judge disqualified Lamport from working with children indefinitely and imposed a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order. He was already on the sex offenders' register for life.