FORMER playgroup chairman David Avery was behind bars today after police found "disgusting and deplorable" child porn images on his home computer.Avery had downloaded almost 100 photos – including four of children in bondage while being subjected to sexual acts.

FORMER playgroup chairman David Avery was behind bars today after police found "disgusting and deplorable" child porn images on his home computer.

Avery had downloaded almost 100 photos – including four of children in bondage while being subjected to sexual acts.

The pornography was discovered by police investigating the theft of money from the Kirton and Falkenham Playgroup, of which Avery served as treasurer and chairman.

Avery, 35, of The Walk, Walton, Felixstowe, admitted eight offences of theft, 16 offences of making indecent photographs of children and one offence of possessing images of child pornography.

He was jailed for 18 months for the child pornography offences with nine months to run consecutively for the theft offences.

He was ordered to sign on the sex offenders' register for 10 years and disqualified from working with children. A forfeiture order was also made in respect of his computer equipment.

Judge Peter Thompson, who described the images as "disgusting and deplorable", said he was satisfied that Avery had deliberately downloaded the child pornography.

Ipswich Crown Court was told Avery had stolen £3,113 from the playgroup. He told police he had paid playgroup expenses out of his own pocket and had then reimbursed himself from its funds.

But Robert Sadd, prosecuting, said: "It has always been the prosecution case that even if there were cash expenses, it didn't explain the outstanding loss of money."

The playgroup was a charity and could ill-afford to lose such a large amount of money.

Mr Sadd said the police investigation into the thefts from the playgroup had led to the discovery on Avery's home computer of 98 images of child pornography.

These were unconnected in any way to Avery's involvement with the playgroup.

Mr Sadd said of the 98 images, four were at level five, 38 at level four, 15 at level three, 14 at level two and 27 at level one, with level five being the most serious.

He added the prosecution claimed that Avery had deliberately downloaded the images.

In mitigation, the court heard the offences had been committed while Avery had been at a low ebb in his life and had been breaking up with his wife.

The theft offences had been opportunistic and he had not intentionally put himself in a position where he could steal funds, the court was told.

Avery claimed he had inadvertently downloaded the child pornography while downloading adult pornography and music and had deleted a lot of the images, the court heard.