A FOUR-month jail sentence was handed out to a 40-year-old man who had a range of child sex abuse images on his laptop.

Phillip Graves, 40, of Shenley Lane, London Colney, who worked behind the meat and fish counter at Sainsbury’s, had 29 photographic images and 3 movies on his Acer laptop which included the real rape of children.

Prosecutor Peter Shaw told St Albans Crown Court that Herts Police High Tech Crime Unit found that three of the images were at Level 5, the most serious level, one was at Level 4, one at Level 2 and 24 at Level 1.

One movie was at Level 5 and two were at Level 4.

Graves pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images.

When he was interviewed by police he said he believed the pictures were of those over 18 and at one stage tried to suggest that a child had been responsible for the downloading.

Jamil Dhanji, defending, said Graves had been married for 10 years and had worked at Sainsbury’s for five years.

He had turned to pornography after his father and brother had died and a step-daughter was jailed for life for murder.

Mr Dhanji asked for Graves to be given credit for his guilty plea.

Jailing him Judge John Plumstead told him: “You were storing on your computer, for your own gratification, images of the rape of children. If there were not people interested in it fewer children would be abused.”

Graves must register as a Sex Offender for five years and abide by a five year Sexual Offences Prevention Order which includes conditions banning him from being alone with children and keeping a record of his internet history.