A former Leeds University lecturer has admitted to possessing nearly 2,000 images of child pornography.

Martin Towers, 58, had been a lecturer in Nursing at the University’s School of Health Care. Mr Towers was originally arrested in January 2011, after police seized his computers and discovered a cache of indecent images of children.

In court last Thursday, Mr Towers admitted to downloading illegal images of children aged between two and 15.

Mr Towers avoided jail, and was instead handed a three-year supervised community order by the judge, requiring him to attend a programme of rehabilitation for sex offenders.

Alongside this, Mr. Towers has also been banned from having any contact with children whilst unsupervised.

Mr Towers formally resigned from his post the University earlier this year. Employees of the School of Health Care have been informed of the situation.

The court learnt that Towers, a father of two, had suffered a stroke whilst on bail, and had endured severe stress during the 18 month trial process. Soon after the time of his arrest, Mr Towers attempted to take his own life, but was stopped by police.

The Yorkshire Evening Post has reported that Towers has been  introduced to a councellor at the University, but the University has been unable to comment, saying there could be issues of client confidentiality.

Guy Kearl QC, the judge presiding over the case, expressed surprise over Mr Towers’ circumstances, given both his position as a governor of a local school, and his “respectable job as a lecturer”. Reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the judge said of Mr. Towers: “I think anybody who knows you would be astonished to see you standing in the dock.”

Author: Max Bruges

Image: Yorkshire Evening Post