A teenager downloaded scores of indecent pictures of children from the internet.

Bradford magistrates heard how Steven Wheelhouse used two computers to obtain the pictures of naked and semi-naked girls aged between four and 15.

Nadine Clough, prosecuting, said that in October 2004 Wheelhouse used his girlfriend's sister's computer while she was away and set up a document including some images.

The matter was later reported to the police.

In September 2005, police were contacted by the Department of Work and Pensions, where Wheelhouse was employed on a temporary contract.

Checks on their computer network had revealed that he had downloaded indecent images from the internet.

Wheelhouse was arrested and during interview admitted obtaining the images and pasting and copying some of them into a document.

A total of 96 images were found on the computers and his mobile phone, said Miss Clough.

The vast majority were at the least-serious Level 1, but four were at Level 3 and six at Level 4, involving sexual acts.

Wheelhouse, 19, of Abb Scott Lane, Low Moor, Bradford, pleaded guilty to 21 charges of possessing indecent photographs of children.

Majid Khan, mitigating, said his client had no previous convictions and there was no real reason why he committed the offences.

It was wrong to imply that he intended to distribute the pictures as they were solely for his personal use, he said.

"He is from a good family background and he is ashamed of what he has done," said Mr Khan.

The magistrates decided Wheelhouse deserved greater punishment than they had the power to impose and sent the case to Bradford Crown Court for sentence next month.