A voyeur who filmed a schoolgirl and her mother getting undressed in their bedrooms has been given a suspended prison sentence.

Peter Boulton, who also had more than 3,000 indecent images of children on his computer equipment, climbed on to a raised area near the victims’ home to film them as they got changed, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Boulton, 58, of West Mersea, who has no previous convictions, admitted making indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of children, possessing extreme pornographic images, distributing indecent images of a child, voyeurism and taking indecent images of a child.

The court heard that police officers acting on information went to Boulton’s home in April last year and seized computer equipment.

When it was examined, it was found to contain 295 indecent images of children in the most serious level A category, 394 in category B and 2,400 in the lowest level C category.

Boulton also had 52 extreme pornographic images and 27 prohibited images of children in his possession, said Michael Crimp, prosecuting.

It was also found he had distributed six indecent images of children.

When police examined two folders bearing female names they found videos taken several years ago of a young girl, who is now an adult, and her mother while they were changing in their bedrooms.

Boulton was given an 18-month prison sentence suspended for two years and a 26-week electronically monitored curfew from 7pm to 6am.

He was also ordered to take part in a sex offenders’ treatment programme and a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years and was given a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Charlene Sumnall, mitigating, said Boulton was deeply ashamed of what he had done and wished to apologise for his behaviour.

She said her client had made admissions to the police and had been dismissed from his job as a result of publicity about the case.

She said Boulton suffered from a life limiting disease called multiple endocrine neoplasia 1 (MEN1) which causes tumours to grow inside his body and could only be treated at St Bart’s Hospital in London.