A wedding videographer’s computer use will be monitored for the next five years following his sentencing for possession of child pornography.

David Ruddock was made the subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offenders register for the next seven years after he admitted downloading an indecent video involving two girls aged 10 or 11.

The 45-year-old wedding videographer, from Glemsford, near Sudbury, was also handed a 16-week jail term – suspended for a year – and ordered to carry out 180 hours of unpaid work by Ipswich magistrates on Tuesday.

Prosecutor David Bryant said police attended Ruddock’s address last July 19, based on information that his home computer’s IP address had been used to download indecent material.

Ruddock told police the video had automatically downloaded when he used a peer-to-peer file sharing programme, Shareaza, to obtain video editor VEGAS Pro, and had clicked on a file offering a preview of software.

In an interview, Ruddock said he halted the download and attempted to uninstall the programme on three or four occasions.

Police forensically analysed his computer and found one indecent video of children in the most extreme ‘level A’ category.

Mark Holt, representing Ruddock, said child pornography cases were typically concerned with tens, hundreds or thousands of images and movies, and asked magistrates to consider his client’s offence at the lower end of the scale, as well as taking into account his previous good character and early guilty plea.

“I believe Mr Ruddock was trying to be as cooperative and helpful to police as possible,” he added.

“He attended the police station voluntarily to give information for a second time in November. He was under no obligation to do so.

“He is someone with no experience of police detention or the courts before now.

“He accepts he has been rather naive in this matter.”

Magistrates said they felt Ruddock’s offence crossed the threshold for custody, but suspended the sentence based on his previous character, prompt guilty plea, display of remorse, and the fact that only one video was found on his computer.

He was also ordered to pay £105 costs and a mandatory £115 victim surcharge.