A former soldier caught with hundreds of child pornography images on his home computer has had his prison sentence cut on appeal.

Carl Rogerson, 36, of Cholswell Road, Abingdon, was discharged from the Army after he admitted possessing, distributing and inciting others to distribute indecent photographs of children.

The former Royal Logistic Corps Lance Corporal, who was described as a "family man" was jailed for three years at Oxford Crown Court in July and banned for life from working with children.

But the sentence was cut to two years and two months after Appeal Court judges decided yesterday that he did not deserve such a long sentence.

Rogerson, who was based at Dalton Barracks and had served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Kosovo and Germany, was arrested when police raided his home in November last year.

He had been communicating with other paedophiles on the Internet and swapping indecent images with them.

The court also heard Rogerson invented stories about abusing children in order to get more photographs sent to him. However, he never actually carried out any abuse himself.

Mr Justice Lloyd Jones, sitting with Mr Justice Stadlen, said some of the 600 images found in Rogerson's possession had caused him great concern, because they showed very young children — with one even showing a child as young as three being abused.

But he said Rogerson's strong "personal mitigation", and the fact he made full admissions to the offences, meant he should be allowed a reduction in his jail term.