A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty to making a catalogue of indecent photographs of young children.Some of the pornographic images found by the police featured dead children and one even showed a dead youngster lying in a coffin.

A 53-year-old man has pleaded guilty to making a catalogue of indecent photographs of young children.

Some of the pornographic images found by the police featured dead children and one even showed a dead youngster lying in a coffin.

The court heard how Richard Sugden, 53, of Nottidge Road, Ipswich, downloaded more than 40,000 indecent images of children from the internet and kept them stored of compact discs.

Yesterday, Sugden appeared before Bury St Edmunds Crown Court where he pleaded guilty to 15 counts of making indecent photographs of children, contrary to the Protection of Children Act 1978. He pleaded not guilty to a further count regarding an image of a mutilated body, which will be left to lie on file.

All the offences occurred over a 21-month period, between February 2001 and 2002.

The court was told how officers found the images concealed on several compact discs owned by Sugden and that he had deliberately saved the pictures.

Officers investigating the case found Sugden had downloaded and saved more than 40,000 pornographic images of children.

The 16 counts brought against Sugden, who only spoke to confirm his name and enter his pleas, were specimen charges.

Prosecutor Robert Sadd said Sugden had deliberately downloaded the images and saved them onto his compact disc collection.

"Due to the large number of pictures found the police faced a mammoth task in dealing with the case and these are specimen images.

"This is a person who is into child pornography. Images of bodies and dead children are not decent to a right minded person."

Sugden's case was originally heard by South East Suffolk magistrates who sent the case to the crown court due to the seriousness of the offences.

Yesterday's case was adjourned until September 29 for pre-sentence reports. Sugden was given unconditional bail, but Judge John Devaux warned this did not reflect the sentence he may receive.

"This is a serious case of its kind," he added. Sugden was also ordered to sign the sex offender's register.