AN Ipswich paedophile has today admitted a total of 41 charges relating to taking indecent images of children as young as five and having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

AN Ipswich paedophile has today admitted a total of 41 charges relating to taking indecent images of children as young as five and having sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Nicholas Gregory, 35, of Wellington Street, who was caught with thousands of pornographic images on his computers, walked into Ipswich Crown Court wearing a dark suit and with the aid of a walking stick.

The court sat in silence and listened for almost five minutes as the string of offences, which date from February 1997 to September last year, were read out.

In total there were 39 charges of taking indecent photographs of a child, one charge of indecent assault and one charge of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

Gregory entered guilty pleas to all.

Rupert Overbury, prosecuting, told the court the indecent assault charge related to an incident when Gregory had sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl in May 2001.

The charges of taking indecent photographs, he said, related to him taking pictures of children aged between five and 13 years.

Those offences took place between February 1997 and September 2003.

The charge of possessing indecent photographs of a child was said to have taken place between June 1999 and September 2003.

Mr Overbury said there was "an enormous amount of material" found on Gregory's computers.

"The number of images totals thousands," he said.

Richard Atchley, mitigating, said: "He is a man of no previous convictions and who suffers from multiple sclerosis."

But went on to say Gregory was under no illusions about the type of sentence he would receive.

"He has been told it will be a custodial sentence," Mr Atchley added.

Judge Peter Thompson said: "These are serious matters and the outcome is going to be a prison sentence. The question is how long that will be."

Sentencing was then adjourned to a later date for pre-sentence and medical reports to be compiled.

Gregory was released on conditional bail.