A FORMER Weymouth mayor has spoken of her outrage after an ex-councillor on child porn charges escaped a jail sentence.

Jess Nagel, who was mayor of the borough from 1989 to 1990, described the sentence handed down to David Crosland, 53, as "disgraceful".

Mrs Nagel, who launched a campaign for action to crack down on child pornography 10 years ago, says she is appalled that Crosland, who was found with 873 child porn images on his computer, "got away with" a three-year community rehabilitation order. Former heroin addict Crosland, of Shrubbery Lane, Weymouth, admitted downloading images of children and babies being abused when he was sentenced at the end of a five-day trial at Dorchester Crown Court.

Recorder Claire Miskin told him that his offences were "at the lower end of the spectrum" and remarked that he was a "professional" before imposing the order and placing him on the sex offenders' register for five years.

But grandmother Mrs Nagel, of Melcombe Avenue, says this is not enough, and that the judiciary should do more to protect children.

She said: "Child pornography is a blight on our society - a disease.

"The police put a huge amount of time into investigating these crimes and their efforts are rewarded with this kind of piddling sentence - it's just not good enough.

"I feel very strongly about the incalculable damage these perverts do to our children. The ones who download pictures from the internet are perpetuating the abuse of children.

"We have laws for everything in this country, yet they are not stringent enough to deal with these people. I am astounded at the light sentence this man was given.

"If it was left to the mothers and grandmothers of this world we'd soon sort them out."

West Dorset district councillor Daniel Smy also slammed Crosland's sentence.

He said: "As a serving councillor I feel I have to speak out against this most bizarre and very lenient sentence.

"Local people will be outraged that the judge did not hand down a prison sentence. Child pornography is a despicable crime. People will be asking where is the justice."