Barry McKaine, who was a minister at the Vineyard Church, has had his jail sentence reduced on appeal. He had been jailed for six months for taking indecent pictures of a child in September of last year. He is to be released due to time already served. The Vineyard Church is part of an evangelical group which meets at Elliot School in Putney.

At his appeal it was argued that his sentence should be reduced as he had deleted the pictures immediately and confessed what he had done. There was no evidence presented that he had distributed the photos or intended to do so and McKaine expressed extreme remorse for his actions. He had taken up digital photography as a hobby and had paid the child, who was a member of the congregation, to model for him.

But McKaine successfully appealed the sentence this week, on the grounds that he had deleted the indecent photos immediately and admitted what he had done to John Mumford a senior leader at the Church.

McKaine has been dismissed from his job with the Putney branch of the Church. The victim and his family are to be consulted as to whether he should remain as part of the congregation.