Former BBC Radio 1 DJ, Michael Willis pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court on nine counts of downloading indecent images and movies between 2006 and 2013
Willis, 69 was in possession of the images while standing as a Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Loughborough at the 2010 General Election.
Willis went under the stage name Steve Merike when he was a Radio 1 disc jockey in the 1970s with his colleague Jimmy Savile.
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The court heard that he also lectured for 15 years at New College Nottingham and Nottingham Trent as well as being the governor at a number of schools.
The Mirror reports:
Michael Willis, 69, shot to fame on pirate station Radio Caroline and worked at the BBC under the name of Stevie Merike in the 1970s – when disgraced Savile was also a presenter.
He later presented BBC Radio 1’s ‘Pop Workshop’ and deputised for Tony Blackburn on the Breakfast Show.
Willis also hosted the 1975 TV show Pop Quest and interviewed stars including T-Rex’s Marc Bolan.
He stood as a Lib Dem parliamentary candidate for Loughborough in the 2010 General Election but failed to win the seat, despite securing almost 10,000 votes.
Leicester Crown Court was told he also lectured at Nottingham Trent University and was a governor at a number of schools.
A raid on his home in Loughborough, Leics, turned up 500 indecent photos of children and 306 horrific films.
The pervert told police he had been researching the material after being intrigued by the Savile affair.
Michael Collis, defending, blamed his offending on “what had gone on in his early years”.
He also said the breakdown of Willis’ second marriage in 2007 was a “catalyst” for him downloading the images.
Recorder Simon Ward told him at Leicester crown court: “When you look at images of children being raped, you are witnessing very serious sexual crimes.”
Willis was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence.
Niamh Harris
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