A DISGRACED major in the Royal Marines was jailed for four years on Tuesday for indecently assaulting a young girl and possessing child pornography.

Married father Paul Howe, 38, of Harcourt Road, Bushey, was found in possession of images of young girls involved in sexual activity that has been downloaded from the internet.

Jailing him at Luton Crown Court Judge Seddon Cripps, said: "These offences make it clear how dangerous it is to have child pornography on the internet and how it can turn someone like you from an upright decent man into a sexual predator."

Howe who was immediately dismissed from the Marines, losing his career and pension rights. He had denied indecently assaulting the little girl on Friday, August 10, 2001.

He stood trial, at which the girl had to give evidence. Howe was convicted by a jury. The court was told that Howe, had now accepted his guilt.

He pleaded guilty to ten charges of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

Mr Gopal Hooper, prosecuting, said they were deleted from his computer but were found on the hard drive when officers arrested him following the indecent assault allegation.

Mr Adam Gersch, defending, said Howe had been a Royal Marine for 16 years, had won an award for best young officer and would have been promoted to Lieutenant Colonel but for his arrest.

He said: "The consequences are absolutely devastating, he accepts his career is over and really things cannot get any worse than they have already got."

Judge Cripps said Howe first began looking at sex sites while based in Denmark, and moved on to child porn sites. This continued when he returned to his country in 2000. He was ordered to register as a sex offender.

July 10, 2002 14:00