A 55-year-old former community nurse from Ipswich has been given a suspended prison sentence after he was found in possession of more than 200 indecent images of children.

Police who executed a warrant at Marc Hendy’s home in August 2020 seized a laptop, a mobile phone and a USB stick and when they were analysed they were found to contain 105 indecent images of children and two movies in the most serious level A category, 107 images in category B and 53 images in the lowest level C category.

There were also 779 prohibited images of children on the devices, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Hendy admitted three offences of making indecent images of children and possessing prohibited images of children and was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also given a 10-year sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Joanne Eley, for Hendy, who now lives Edenvale Mews, Consett, said he had worked as a community nurse with people with learning difficulties before retiring on medical grounds.

She said he was ashamed and embarrassed about downloading the indecent images and had sought help for his issues.