THE "lonely" senior curator at the Black Country Living Museum, who quit after he was caught with sickening indecent images of youngsters, has been spared time behind bars.

"These images show real children in real situations and by looking at them you create a demand," Judge Simon Ward told Dr John Beckerson.

The 42-year-old, who described himself after his arrest as a "classic lonely man", told police officers he had used chatrooms to distribute the disgusting images.

Fiona Cortese, prosecuting, told Wolverhampton Crown Court that police officers seized computer equipment and two mobile phones when they raided Beckerson's home and searches turned up the indecent material.

She said that Beckerson maintained he had no sexual interest in children and stressed his £800 a week job at the Tipton Road museum did not put him in regular contact with youngsters.

Miss Cortese added that Beckerson, who earned around £40,000 a year at the museum, went on to say he looked at the pictures online "but he had never touched anybody".

Beckerson, of Beechfield Grove, Bilston, admitted three charges of possessing and distributing the images including a number in category A - the worst level.

He was given a six month jail term suspended for two years and ordered to register as a sex offender for the next seven years. He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

Robert Cowley, defending, told the court Beckerson was now in a job that paid him between £700 and £900 a month so he had already been heavily punished for his offending.

"The financial effect for him has been huge," he said.

He said Beckerson had been taking determined steps to put his offending behind him and concluded: "He has been frank and honest with police from the outset."