An Ipswich courier who had indecent images of children on his computer has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Before Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday was Joseph Franey, 62, of London Road, Ipswich, who admitted one offence of making indecent images of children.

Simon Gladwell, prosecuting said police officers who went to Franey’s home in April seized a computer tower and a USB stick.

When the equipment was examined it was found to contain, on a scale of A to C with level A being the most serious, nine still images and one film at level A, 16 level B still images and 190 still images and one film at level C.

Franey was given a 16 week prison sentence suspended for two years and ordered to attend an accredited sex offenders programme. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for seven years and to pay £340 costs.

The court heard that Franey had a previous conviction in 2003 for gross indecency with a child.

Steven Dyble for Franey said his client hadn’t deliberately searched for indecent images of children and had immediately deleted them when they appeared.