A former Crown Court judge is facing jail after today admitting a string of child pornography offences.
Mr David Selwood (69) pleaded guilty at London's Bow Street Magistrates Court to 12 counts of making and one count of possessing indecent photographs of children in March and April this year.
Police found 75 images of naked and semi-naked boys aged between eight and 14 on Mr Selwood's laptop computer.
The former circuit judge, from Winchester, Hampshire, maintained he had no sexual interest in young children, insisting he had accessed child abuse websites out of "curiosity".
The court was told that the public loss of face had a "devastating and humiliating" effect on the former circuit judge and his family.
But police said there was a clear "public interest" in bringing Selwood, who stepped down as resident judge at Portsmouth Crown Court earlier this month, to court.
Standing in the small dock of Court No 2, the grey-haired former judge was asked whether he wanted to make a plea after the 13 counts were read out.
Wearing a black pin-stripe suit and glasses, Selwood said in a clear voice: "I intend to plead guilty to all of those charges."
Mr Selwood then sat down while the prosecution lawyer Amanda Sawetz read extracts from a statement he had prepared for police.