A man with multiple sclerosis has been caught with indecent images of children for the second time.

Graham Livermore, 64, of Rugby Way, Croxley Green, told the police the 1,601 images had been downloaded by a man called Reg Brown.

But St Albans crown court today (Tuesday) heard that Livermore now acknowledged Reg Brown does not exist.

Wheelchair-bound Livermore pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children and breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order. That order, which had banned him from downloading child sex abuse images, was passed on June 2, 2010.

Prosecutor Neil King said when officers analysed the images 11 were in Category A, the most serious, 11 were at B and 1,579 were at C, the least serious level.

Livermore claimed he was only interested in the images for artistic reasons. He had used search terms such as: "Little Girls".

Andrew Campbell, defending, said the "penny has dropped" with Livermore. He said he had previously been deluding himself when he blamed Reg Brown. He described Livermore as an "isolated man".

Judge John Plumstead told him: "You have played a part in the degradation of children. If people like you did not download these images, they would not be taken and uploaded."

The judge said he would send him immediately to prison were it not for his illness. He passed a 12 month sentence suspended for two years with a Sexual Offences Prevention Order that means that any browsing history on his computer is recorded and accessible.

He must also register as a sex offender indefinitely.