A 70-year-old former BT worker from Felixstowe, who was a safeguarding officer at his church, has been given a suspended prison sentence for downloading child porn.

Police officers acting on information went to Trevor White’s home in June last year and seized items of computer equipment, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When it was analysed by an expert it was found to contain 12 indecent images in the most serious level A category, 30 level B images and 123 images in the lowest level C category, said Charles Myatt, prosecuting.

White, of Fairfield Avenue, Felixstowe, had denied three offences of making indecent images of children but changed his pleas to guilty before the start of his trial at Ipswich Crown Court in July.

Sentence was adjourned for a pre-sentence.

The offences were committed between 2008 and 2016.

Sentencing White to a 10-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months and a 35-day rehabilitation order, Judge John Devaux told White he was not sure how he had reconciled his role as safeguarding officer at his church with his “ingrained” habit of viewing child porn.

“You deliberately sought out this material,” said the judge.

He said White, who had a background in computers and cyber security, had viewed indecent images of children for eight years and was skilled in covering his tracks.

In addition to the suspended prison sentence, White was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Jude Durr, for White, said his client had no previous convictions and had a “stellar” career with BT.

He said he had been involved with a local church but was less committed now and would have the time to take part in any order made by the court.

Mr Durr said that White had done a lot of soul searching since his arrest and had suffered embarrassment as a result of the offences coming to light.

He said coming to court and the court process had been a salutary lesson for him and he had been assessed by the probation service as being a low risk of reoffending.

The Venerable Ian Morgan, Archdeacon of Suffolk, said: “Mr White was a volunteer at the parish of Walton, near Felixstowe.

“Although none of the offences took place in connection with his church role in any way, as an organisation we take any such allegations extremely seriously.

“Mr White quickly stood down as a volunteer following his arrest. My thoughts and prayers are very much with anyone who has been affected by this.”