An Ipswich man caught with nearly 200 indecent photographs of children when police raided his home has been given a community order.

David Whiting, of Burke Road, Ipswich, admitted three charges of making indecent images of a child when he appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in December.

At his Ipswich Crown Court sentencing the court was handed references describing the 43-year-old, who had no previous convictions, as honest, reliable, trustworthy, kind and hard-working.

However, since his last hearing he had lost his job at a bed manufacturer and was now unemployed.

Sentencing Whiting to a three-year community order Judge Rupert Overbury told him: “This is for some reason a complete aberration on your usual standards and it seems to me treatment is much more suitable and to the benefit of the public.”

The court was told it was important Whiting was given a sentence which would mean he could take part in a lengthy internet sex offenders’ programme, comprising of 35 sessions lasting two hours each.

Judge Overbury said: “It takes a long time to complete. Therefore in order to re-educate and rehabilitate you it seems to me a three-year community order is appropriate in your case.”

Whiting was also made subject to an indefinite Sexual Offences Prevention Order and must sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

Previously prosecutor Michael Crimp had told the court that during the course of a police investigation officers had taken possession of a computer tower and two hard drives belonging to Whiting.

Subsequent examinations showed a significant number of indecent images of children on them.

On the old Copine scale which grades such images from One to Five with Level One being the least serious, there were 18 images at Level Four, 40 at Level Three, Three at Level Two and 129 at Level One.

One of the most serious images had been created using technology.