A PERVERT admin assistant who downloaded child abuse pictures on his works computer was unmasked after carelessly leaving a print-out in his desk.

Andrew Plimmer, 40, left his job with a Darlington company and cleared his work area - but left behind clues about his sordid secret double-life.

An apprentice found the indecent photograph, alerted bosses and they contacted the police, prosecutor Harry Hadfield told Teesside Crown Court.

Officers went to Plimmer's home and seized three lap-top computers, and discovered that he had also been using them to search the internet for filth.

His lawyer told the court that he might have looked for the illegal material because he got a "kick" out of doing something he was not meant to.

Jonathan Harley, mitigating, said the father-of-two had never been in trouble before, and described his internet activity as "two weeks of stupidity".

Mr Harley said the authorities had stopped Plimmer staying at the family home in Brignall Moor Crescent, Darlington, and was living in his car.

Judge Peter Armstrong ordered that the defendant - now in a new job - should sign on the sex offenders' register and his internet use should be restricted.

The judge told Plimmer yesterday: "Why you should have got involved in offending of this nature for a short period in 2013 is difficult to understand.

"You say it wasn't for sexual thrills, but the thrill of simply doing something illegal. That may well have been a factor had there been just one image.

"But this went on at work, and at home on lap-tops," the judge added. "Now, as far as cases of this nature are concerned, the number of images is low.

"With the sort of assistance given by the Probation Service, you should be able to avoid committing any such offences in the future."

Plimmer admitted two charges of making indecent images of children, and was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, with supervision.

Mr Harley said: "In spite of this, his partner is sticking by him, and they are trying to resolve the inevitable difficulties this has brought about.

"His sole focus has been trying to repair the damage which, in his words, this two weeks of stupidity has done. He is currently living out of his car.

"He is unable to provide any real explanation as to why he did this. It was a two-week period following years of adherence to the law. It is very odd.

"Perhaps an interest in children and getting sexual gratification is not the primary reason. There is as much an element of him obtaining thrills from simply viewing illegal material at work, and doing something he knew he wasn't supposed to be doing."

Mr Hadfield told the court that 14 pictures and two short film clips - one showing girls being sexually abused - were discovered by police.