A disgraced Sussex police inspector has admitted downloading explicit child pornography while he was an officer serving in Hastings.
Christopher Wratten resigned from the police after his arrest
Christopher Wratten, 48, of Bexhill-on-Sea, used his credit card to subscribe to websites featuring indecent images of children, Lewes Crown Court was told.
The court heard Wratten claimed he had downloaded the pictures to collect evidence.
Officers working on Operation Ore, a nationwide investigation into paedophiles paying to view child abuse websites, went to his home in July last year.
Stephanie Farrimond, prosecuting, told the court that Wratten purchased 30 days of access to one website using his credit card to pay $29.95.
She told the court that the police seized his computer as well as 63 floppy discs, which were later found to contain 95 indecent images.
The police inspector, who had been an officer for 29 years, has since resigned.
Wratten admitted seven counts of making indecent photographs between September 1999 and November 2002.
Sentencing was adjourned until next month for psychiatric reports to be compiled on the defendant, who was granted bail.