A FORMER community cop caught with animal porn on his computer escaped a prison sentence.

David Harrison was given a 12-month conditional discharge for possessing 19 extreme pornographic images, after the judge said he was just "curious".

The ex-police community support officer, formerly of Jefferies Way, Stanford-le-Hope, was busted for the porn after being arrested for sending sexually-explicit text messages to a 13-year-old girl.

Harrison, 29, now of Waldegrave Gardens, Upminster, is serving a two-year community order for sending the texts in May last year, which was imposed in February.

Basildon Crown Court heard today (Wednesday) how police seized Harrison's computer as part of their investigation into the texts last May, and discovered 57 sexual images involving animals on the hard-drive.

An expert analysed the pictures and found 19 of them were classed as extreme porn.

A probation officer who assessed Harrison ahead of the sentencing described the charges as "very serious offences", but Judge Christopher Mitchell said he disagreed.

The judge said Harrison wasn't like the lead character in Peter Shaffer play Equus, who harmed horses because of his sexual obsession with them.

Judge Mitchell said: "I fully accept your explanation that you were curious as to whether this material existed.

"Before 2008, having this material wasn't an offence and this sort of material relates to adults and animals, not children and animals.

"There's no extra twist in this case of the sort that's depicted in the well-known play Equus."

Harrison worked as a community cop in Corringham, but resigned after the sexual offences came to light.

He has also worked as a council community warden in Basildon in the past.