A FORMER care worker typed in “young boys sex” on an internet search engine hours before the police seized his computer.

Jeevan Avikkal had downloaded a total of 13 still pictures and one indecent movie of teenage boys under the age of 16, Winchester Crown Court heard.

Dawn Hyland, prosecuting, said police came to the 58-year-old’s home in Melrose Walk, Popley, on April 16 last year, as part of an investigation into another matter.

Officers seized the computer and found the search term, which had been recently used, and the indecent images.

She said: “He was subsequently interviewed by police and answered a number of questions but failed to provide much detail.

“He accepted he had viewed pornography involving young boys aged between 14 and 16 but this was by accident when he was watching football.

“He then stated he was gay but denied being sexually aroused by children and young boys. He gave the explanation that where he comes from the word “boys” is used to describe a male up to the age of 35.”

The court heard however that Avikkal, who came to the UK from India 10 years ago, admitted 14 counts of making indecent photographs of a child at the first opportunity in court.

The court heard Avikkal had worked in the care industry for four years in Tadley, and then in Basingstoke, but had left his job when he was arrested.

Since then, he had worked in a Basingstoke curry restaurant for “pocket money and free food”, Karen Dempsey, defending, said.

Miss Dempsey added her client was sorry for what he had done.

Avikkal was sentenced to a nine-month community order, with supervision, and would be made subject to a sexual offences prevention order and be placed on the sexual offenders register for five years.