TOPEKA, Kan. – Sobbing at times, Saline County District Court Judge George Robertson this week said stress from his duties as a church elder and a caseload of more than 3,000 cases a year caused him to view Internet porn sites on his county-owned office computer.

Robertson, who has been a district judge for 10 years, appeared before the state’s Commission on Judicial Qualifications in an attempt to keep his job. The panel took the case under advisement and eventually will submit a report to the state Supreme Court.

A county computer technician discovered in early February that the judge had visited numerous pornographic sites. When confronted by Saline County Chief Judge Daniel Hebert, Robertson admitted visiting the sites.

“I understand the immorality on a personal basis,” Robertson, 56, told the commission during the three-hour hearing in Topeka. “I understand the breach of confidence to the judiciary. Not only do my colleagues have my apology, but the colleagues on this panel have my apology.”

The judge has been suspended with pay since the history of porn sites was discovered on his computer.

Robertson fought back tears as he explained how he spent countless hours as an elder of his church and that he had spread himself too thin between his judicial work and his church obligations.

He said the adult Web sites provided a diversion over a period of nine months.

He testified that he stumbled onto Internet pornography by accident while viewing a Web site for people who raise and sell poultry. Robertson raises chickens as a hobby at his home in rural Ottawa County.

He said from that site, he typed in the words “baby chicks” and “I found what I shouldn’t have found.”

Robertson said that while he went to the sites frequently, he didn’t stay for more than a few minutes at a time.

“I will say I was fascinated with it, but the fascination was fast wearing itself off,” he said.

Robertson’s lawyer, Steve Robison, said that his client had not made contact with anyone through the porn sites or made any purchases. Robison suggested that the commission could issue a cease-and-desist order that Robertson not engage in further inappropriate behavior so the judge could resume his duties.

But Hebert testified that it would be tough to assign Robertson to cover any type of court cases.

“A judge’s stock and trade is good judgment and there has been a severe lapse in good judgment that could be viewed as very offensive to the public,” Hebert said.

Ed Collister, the commission’s examiner, said a log from November 2004 to January 2005 showed a list of 38 Web sites accessed on Robertson’s computer that concerned sex acts and nudity.

Visiting the Web sites wasn’t illegal, but it does break both county and local district court rules against improper computer use, officials said.