SUSSEX County Football Association has banned a paedophile referee, The Argus can exclusively reveal.

Robert Myhill made and shared more than 400 child porn images on his laptop, but was spared jail last Friday.

We reported on Tuesday that the disgraced 32-year-old had some of the most severe pictures of children downloaded on his device.

Ken Benham, chief executive of Sussex County FA, refused to tell us what action had been taken against his employee.

But we can tell our readers that Myhill has been suspended sine die, meaning indefinitely.

Well-informed sources have told us the decision was made at the start of the week.

And despite Myhill pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, he was allowed to referee a match on December 17.

Sussex FA, however, said they only heard the news after his sentencing last week.

A statement from the authority regarding Myhill said: “During the late afternoon of Friday, January 12, 2018, the Sussex County FA received information that local referee, Robert Myhill, had that day appeared before Lewes Crown Court, where he was sentenced for a number of offences relating to indecent images of children.

“On receipt of this information, the Sussex County FA immediately implemented the Sussex County FA and FA safeguarding policies and procedures and contact was made with the statutory agencies to determine the validity of this information.

“These policies and procedures included the Sussex County FA referring the matter immediately to the FA’s safeguarding team at Wembley, who put in place appropriate safeguarding measures in line with the FA safeguarding procedures.

“The Sussex County FA had no prior knowledge of this case before the information was received on Friday, January 12, 2018.

“The Sussex County FA will be making no further comment at this time.”

Myhill, of Chatham Place in Brighton, had 156 photographs branded in category A – the most serious in the grading system – on his laptop, and was given an 11-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

Myhill also had 121 category B images of children, for which he received an eight-month jail term suspended for two years.

The final count was 125 indecent images of children, this time category C.

The offences happened in August 2016.

There was no evidence of Myhill having physical contact with children.

He is on the sex offenders’ register for the next ten years and has a sexual harm prevention order imposed against him.

Additionally, he must undergo a 60-day sex offender treatment programme which aims to promote healthy sexual functioning in high-risk offenders.

The paedophile must also take part in a 20-day rehabilitation programme, and was ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.

Referees are governed by the Sussex County FA, not directly employed.

They are appointed to take charge of matches by individual referee league secretaries, who are in place in each league.