Berlin - A Social Democrat (SPD) media spokesman resigned his party posts on Friday after prosecutors found child pornography during a search of his home.

Joerg Tauss stepped down as the SPD's parliamentary spokesman on media affairs, research and education. He also quit as secretary general of the centre-left party's south-west regional branch.

Tauss, 55, said he took the action to protect the party from damage, but vowed to retain his seat in the Bundestag lower house of parliament where he has been a member since 1994.

The deputy promised to cooperate with investigating authorities and said he was confident that the allegations against him would be quickly cleared up.

Prosecutors said they found pornographic images of children during a search of Tauss' Berlin home on Thursday after a parliamentary panel lifted his immunity.

Police also confiscated material from his offices in Berlin and his parliamentary constituency at Bretten in south-west Germany.

Tauss claimed Thursday the images were related to his work as a media expert.

"I've been concerned about this scene (child pornography) for years," said Tauss, hinting that he might have been the victim of some kind of intrigue. (dpa)