A Shropshire dental technician was reported to police by his wife after she found child pornography on the family computer, a misconduct hearing heard.

John Martin begged for his wife’s forgiveness and attempted to wipe his stash of indecent images off the computer at his home in Shrewsbury, the hearing was told.

But the General Dental Council misconduct hearing yesterday heard that Martin ended up in court after detectives discovered a library of more than 200 pictures of children as young as five at his home.

He was given a three-year supervision order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years by magistrates on January 28 this year after he was convicted of five counts of making indecent images of a child.

Martin, a dental laboratory technician registered at Southwold, in Holyhead Road, Bicton, Shrewsbury, appeared before the GDC’s conduct and competence committee in London yesterday.

If the panel find his fitness to practice is impaired by his conviction, he could be struck off the register.

Lyn Griffin, for the GDC, told the hearing that Martin’s wife discovered the images in June 2007.

She said: “His wife challenged him, and on that occasion, he said he was sorry, and he would attempt to wipe the images off his computer. However, Mrs Martin decided she had no option but to go to police.

“Officers searched the home he shared with his wife and two-year-old son, and found 224 images on the computer.”

Martin does not contest the facts of his conviction, but denies that his fitness to practice is affected.

The panel will announce its final verdict at a hearing on September 19.