A 46-year-old Trimley St Mary man who downloaded nearly 280,000 indecent images of children has been jailed for two years.

Police officers seized computer equipment belonging to Gavin Spurr after receiving information that an IP address registered to him had been used to download child porn, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Spurr, of The Avenue, Trimley St Mary, admitted three offences of making indecent photographs of children on or before July 12, 2016.

Michael Crimp, prosecuting, said that when Spurr’s computer equipment was examined it was found to contain 8,520 still indecent images of children and 449 movies in the most serious level A category, 14,582 images and 448 movies at level B and 252,002 images and 332 movies at level C.

Spurr also admitted a fourth charge of possessing a prohibited image of a child.

Jailing him for two years Judge Rupert Overbury said: “The amount of child pornography involved in this case, which is approaching 300,000 images and movies with just under 9,000 in the most serious category, speaks volumes about not only your sexual interest in young children, which seems to be uncontrollable but also the length of time over which you must have systematically searched for and stored these images.”

He said some of the images downloaded by Spurr featured children as young as three and four and there were also images involving sexual activity with animals and sadism.

In addition to being jailed Spurr was made the subject of an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.

Paul Donegan, for Spurr, said his client had no previous convictions and he urged the court to consider passing a suspended prison sentence on him.

“If he was to go to prison the likelihood of him receiving treatment is significantly reduced. He needs to be challenged about his beliefs and attitudes in respect of these images,” said Mr Donegan.

He described Spurr as being socially inadequate and said he had sought solace in internet porn of all varieties.

“He is somewhat isolated and that has led him to offend on this scale,” said Mr Donegan.