AN angry man told police he posed as a teen online to download indecent images to “embarrass” a troublesome step-daughter.

Kevin Batchford has been spared jail after making and distributing indecent images of children.

The 47-year-old, of Felicia Way, Grays had his home raided on September 8, 2018 and had various computer equipment seized.

It was later found Batchford had eight category B and 22 category C of child abuse.

At Basildon Crown Court on Monday, Peter Clark, prosecuting, said: “He asserts that he had no sexual interest or gratification from the images.”

Mr Clark said Batchford had used the online dating site “MyLOL”, an app made for teenagers, and was purporting to be a teenager himself.

In mitigation, the court heard Batchford’s step-daughter had “gone off the rails” and that his behaviour started as an attempt to contact her but led him to the offending.

It was said that Batchford was getting the images to “get her in trouble”, and that if he went to prison it would cause his partner “emotional and physical distress”.

Sentencing, Judge Andrew Hurst told Batchford: “There appears to have been some sort of revenge going on.

“Whether she acted wrong or not, what you did was out of proportion.

“Whether this was some form of revenge or sexual gratification, it remains extremely serious.”

Judge Hurst gave Batchford four months in prison suspended for two years, 40 days of rehabilitation and 280 hours of unpaid work.

He added: “Whatever else was going on in the past, it all stops now.”