A former Wiltshire Police inspector has been slapped with a fine for having more than 100 extreme porn photos while in the force.

Curiosity caused Ian Stevenson to view extreme pornography sent to him via WhatsApp, Bristol Crown Court heard.

The court was told the behaviour followed his "exemplary" 30-year service in the police in which he saved many lives, Bristol Live reported.

Stevenson, 57, of The Marsh, Wanborough near Swindon, was to face trial but pleaded guilty to possessing 144 extreme pornographic images between 2012 and 2020.

The photos included bestiality and he had possessed them while still in the force.

Judge Martin Picton fined him £500, with £80 costs and a £50 victim surcharge. He said: "I can't imagine how much shame you feel finding yourself in court after an exemplary career as a police officer.

"This was a serious error of judgement on your part. A fine is the most appropriate way of dealing with this case."

The judge ordered that Stevenson be deprived of the phone on which images were located.

Salisbury Journal: Former police inspector Ian Stevenson.Former police inspector Ian Stevenson. (Image: Newsquest archive)

Christopher Smyth, prosecuting, said police arrested Stevenson in May 2020 for a separate purpose. When his phone was checked the extreme images were located, albeit no longer accessible.

In an interview, Stevenson admitted he had an interest in BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) and progressed to a "morbid fascination" for shocking bestiality footage.

The court heard he had a previous conviction for assaulting two police officers, for which he was fined.

Alun Williams, defending, said his client had put in 30 years of unblemished service with the police. The court heard he had saved many lives, including stopping suicide attempts.

In 2018 Stevenson won a national bravery award after he saved a woman’s life on train tracks near Salisbury. He wrestled the woman out of the path of an approaching train in May of the previous year.

The officer was with others searching for the woman who had walked out of her home saying she was going to kill herself.

He spotted her by the line and hearing a long blast on a train horn, realised it was approaching.

He crossed the track to get to the woman and moments later the train appeared and she ran onto the track. He grabbed her and got her out of the way seconds before the train passed.

Stevenson was named south west regional winner at the National Police Awards. He was described as a “shining example of bravery and dedication to public safety” by the then Wiltshire chief constable Kier Pritchard.

Mr Williams said his client's offending amounted to "very boorish" behaviour of an exchange of WhatsApp messages.

He told the court: "There is absolutely no evidence of searches for the material, no evidence he requested it, no evidence he distributed it. "It was a very poor error of judgement on his behalf. He feels guilt and humiliation."