A GWENT man was jailed for eight months yesterday after being caught putting an indecent photograph of a child on the Internet.

Production controller Lee McCulloch was caught by an undercover detective operating in Phoenix, Arizona, Cardiff crown court was told. McCulloch, 26 went into an Internet chatroom called 'Special Interests', prosecutor Muhu Gobir said.

When police searched his home at Fountain Court, Cwmtillery they discovered more than 500 indecent images of children of various grades of seriousness.

McCulloch had pleaded guilty before Abertillery magistrates to four charges of distributing indecent photographs and guilty to 11 charges of making indecent photographs. Judge David Morris told him: "The only appropriate form of punishment is that of immediate imprisonment, despite your impeccable background.

"Those who indulge in Internet activity play their part in the exploitation of children worldwide."

McCulloch was ordered to register upon his release as a sex offender for ten years.

Mr Gobir said a detective officer Todd Ruggery was conducting an undercover operation in Phoenix, Arizona.

He signed onto a website using an undercover account and got onto an Internet chatroom containing 36 people.

He noticed that McCulloch was a member and he received e-mails from him as well as an indecent image also sent to 19 other people.

The identity of McCulloch was checked and the FBI contacted the National Crime Intelligence Service in Britain with the result that on November 28, Gwent Police searched McCulloch's home and arrested him.

His computer hard drive and compact discs were seized from his bedroom.

When interviewed, McCulloch answered some questions but mainly exercised his right to silence, the court heard.

His counsel, Caroline Rees, said: "He accepts his responsibility. He is not blaming others or minimising his involvement.

"He went into it navely and then was further drawn into it. He realises the implications of what he has done.

"McCulloch has been an upstanding member of society and he is embarrassed by the effect of all this on his family, to whom he is close."