FELIXSTOWE: A judge sent out a strong message today after jailing a foolish young man for downloading child pornography because he was curious.

University undergraduate Craig Day’s laptop computer also contained four images of an adult having sex with a dog, which he claimed he kept because he found them amusing.

Day, of Mill Lane, Felixstowe, is now paying a heavy price for his immaturity in downloading the 430 still and moving child porn images.

At the 22-year-old’s Ipswich Crown Court sentencing Judge Peter Fenn said he was jailing Day for 16 weeks because the courts must make a stand.

All the youngsters involved in this case were aged 13 or under, with some being described as babies.

Judge Fenn said: “All of those are victims. None of them can have been said to have consented. They have been forced to do so, perhaps even not really knowing what they are doing. But each of them is a victim and each of them is deserving of protection.

“The only way this sort of exploitative activity of very young children can hope to be stopped, or at least slowed down, is by courts in this country sending out very clearly the message that those who contribute to the demand of such images by going online and viewing them must expect a custodial sentence.”

Day previously pleaded guilty to 17 counts of possessing indecent photos of children and four charges of possessing extreme pornographic images.

Prosecutor Patricia Doggett told the court Day was arrested after a search warrant was carried out on August 5 last year at a premises in Felixstowe where he was staying temporarily.

Day’s laptop was seized from his bedroom.

On the computer were 55 child pornography images at level one, 16 at level two, 212 at level three, 146 at level four and one at level five.

Levels four and five are the highest grades assigned to child pornography, in which the vilest images are categorised.

Brian Reeve, representing Day, stressed his client did not access the material for sexual gratification, but out of curiosity.

He said Day was not a sexual deviant, but “a thoroughly nice young man who has behaved in this inexplicably stupid way”.