An Elmswell man who had indecent videos of children and extreme pornographic images on his phone and laptop has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Sentencing 32-year-old Robert Smith, Recorder Graham Huston described the material as “absolutely disgusting”.

“When a video is taken of a child being raped it is a video of a child being raped. Men who view these videos are perpetuating the rape of children,” said the judge.

Smith, of Wetherden Road, Elmswell, admitted possessing indecent images of children and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He was given an eight-month prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours' unpaid work and to pay £250 costs.

He was also ordered to attend a sex offenders’ treatment programme and was given a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for seven years.

Daniel Setter, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said the offences came to light after Smith was arrested on unrelated matters which resulted in no further action being taken.

Smith’s iPhone and a laptop were seized and were found to contain two indecent videos of children in the most serious level A category and one still image in category B. A number of extreme pornographic images were also found on the iPhone.

Mr Setter said the children in the indecent image and videos were as young as 10 or 11.

When Smith was interviewed he told police the images were sent to him on WhatsApp and he hadn’t deleted them.

He said he couldn’t read or write and didn’t know how to download indecent material.

He accepted he knew the indecent images of children were illegal but said he didn’t know that was the case for the extreme pornographic images.

Mr Setter said Smith had committed 32 previous offences but none of them related to indecent images.

Oliver Haswell, for Smith, said his client had been in a WhatsApp group with fellow farm workers.

He said Smith had little control over incoming material. “He knew what was on his phone and he hadn’t withdrawn from the WhatsApp group or distanced himself from the material,” said Mr Haswell.

He said the case involved a limited number of indecent images and videos of children.