A shamed lawyer from Hackney who claims work stress caused him to download scores of sickening child abuse images walked free from court on Friday.

Hugh Jackson, 31, of Victoria Park Road stored 230 pornographic pictures of children as young as two on work and home computers.

He also trawled through paedophile chat rooms on his work computer where he discussed child abuse with other like-minded individuals.

The married solicitor and churchgoer claims anxiety from his job at a leading London housing and community care law firm triggered his child porn addiction.

Jackson, who admitted nine counts of making indecent photographs of a child and a single count of possessing indecent images, appeared at Southwark Crown Court for his sentencing.

Anthony Edwards, defending, said Jackson has been looking at child pornography for over five years as an “escape” from the “highly stressful environment” at his workplace.

But Judge Michael Gledhill QC interrupted and said: “How can stress from a job, or anywhere else, lead you to paedophile information exchange websites and looking at this filth?”

He added: “I find it almost impossible to understand how an extremely intelligent 31-year-old such as yourself, qualified as a barrister, working as a solicitor, with a wife, could put your career and your family in jeopardy because of your appetite for looking at these indecent images of children.

Jackson, who has admitted having a sexual interest in young girls, has since quit his job and is now relying on income support.

His wife, a researcher at University College London, watched on from the public gallery as he was handed a 12-month prison sentence suspended for a year and a 60-day supervision order.