A BBC producer who indecently assaulted an eight-year-old girl as well as storing hundreds of graphic indecent images of children on his computer, yesterday had his jail term cut by two years.

Peter Croasdale, aged 46, of Annis Road, Bolton, has a “high IQ” and enjoyed a successful career as a BBC science producer. But his perverted fantasies saw him jailed for six-and-a-half years at Leeds Crown Court last December.

He pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting a child, one of taking indecent photographs of a child, two of voyeurism and five of possessing indecent photographs of children. Eleven of the images found were of the most serious kind.

Croasdale’s crimes were discovered when his wife found an indecent image on his mobile phone, taken after he had assaulted the young girl in April, 2007. His wife also discovered two CDs with indecent images.

Police were called and his computer equipment was seized.

Croasdale took immediate steps to seek counselling for his problems.

Lord Justice Dyson, sitting with Mr Justice Davis and Mr Justice Lloyd-Jones, at London’s Appeal Court, said Croasdale had not offended any further while on bail awaiting sentence and had owned up to his crimes at an early stage.

The judge cut Croasdale’s sentence to four-and-a-half years.