A DORSET dentist has escaped a prison sentence after pleading guilty to 11 counts of possessing extreme pornography depicting pain being inflicted.

Bournemouth Crown Court heard how David Hill from Pennington Close, West Moors, had been arrested after police searched his mother’s home and another property in Christchurch.

Prosecutor Desmond Duffy said two computers had been seized and examined by experts who found three movies and 26 still images featuring scenes of violence.

“When interviewed in January this year Mr Hill admitted downloading the material because he was participating in bondage acts,” he said.

“He accepted that what he had downloaded was extreme in nature, acknowledging participants were likely to be experiencing severe pain and risking injury as a result.”

Mr Duffy added that 44-year-old Hill had wanted “to assess if he felt able to participate in that kind of activity himself”.

Defending, Robert Gray said his client was a professional man of previous good character who had received treatment for “his interest in this kind of material”.

Submitting references, Mr Gray added that Hill had been involved in fundraising for a number of charities.

The court heard how Hill had been suspended from his job, on full pay, pending the outcome of legal proceedings.

Imposing a two-year community order and three-month curfew, Judge Samuel Wiggs told Hill: “It is extremely sad that you should be in this court. You have substantial qualifications in the career which you follow.”

Hill was ordered to pay £1,350 prosecution costs.