A FORMER police officer and RAF serviceman has admitted downloading videos of child abuse at his holiday home in North Wales.

Geoffrey Robinson, 57, was handed a 12-month prison sentence but the judge agreed to suspend it for two years to allow support services to address his “deviant thought processes”.

Mold Crown Court heard his career and relationships with former colleagues were now in tatters, although his wife had vowed to stand by him.

James Coutts, prosecuting, said the defendant’s property in Gwersyllt, near Wrexham, had been raided by police on May 8.

Robinson, who worked for the British Transport Police, admitted to officers he had an “interest in pornography” which was “on the edge between legal and illegal”.

He used special software to hide his internet activity from his wife but claimed he had never sought out child porn and only used peer-to-peer file sharing to download music.

Forensic experts at North Wales Police discovered two videos at category A – the most graphic – as well as two category B films and one at category C. They also recovered five indecent images.

He said he was “ashamed of his actions” and later pleaded guilty to possessing the videos and images.

Defending, Henry Hills stressed his client was of previous good character and that the pictures and films were “limited in number”.

“This behaviour is clearly indicative of deviant sexual thought processes and Mr Robinson has accepted that,” Mr Hills said.

“He is a man with a strong work ethic. This episode represents a significant fall from grace for this middle-aged man.

"Geoffrey Robinson has given his adult life to public service; 18 years in the RAF and then the police service.

“His career is in ruins, relationships have been torn asunder and he has lost the respect and trust of former colleagues.

“He is a family man and the revelation of this behaviour has had a devastating impact on his family.

"He knows he has inflicted hurt and harm upon them, as well as the victims of his offending. In spite of all this his wife is supportive of him. They are making efforts to sustain their relationship.

“Mr Robinson is capable of change and he wants to change for the better.”

Judge Timothy Petts told Robinson the impact of his offending on his work and family “is entirely of your own making”.

He added: “It’s sometimes easy to use the phrase ‘indecent images of children’ without thinking what that actually means, that these images represent the real-life abuse of children.

"They are created and perpetuated by a deviant demand for them by people like you.”

The judge said the only way the Probation Service would have enough time to address Robinson’s behaviour would be under the terms of a suspended sentence.

Robinson, whose address was given as Hardwick Drive, Gwersyllt, will have to carry out 60 days of rehabilitation activity as well as 200 hours of unpaid work in the community.

He must sign on the sex offenders register for 10 years and was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) for the same duration.