A 42-year-old Ipswich man who downloaded indecent images of children has been given a community order.

Police officers who searched Benjamin McClelland’s home in September 2020 seized a mobile phone which was found to contain 76 indecent images of children.

Joe Bird, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said the indecent images were downloaded over a two-day period in June 2020.

At an earlier hearing, McClelland, of Dunlop Road, Ipswich, admitted making 41 still indecent images of children in the most serious level A category, 21 level B indecent images of children and 14 indecent images in the least serious level C category.

 He was given an 18-month community order and a £150 fine.

McClelland was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years and ordered to sign the sex offenders register for the same period.

The court heard that McClelland, who has no previous convictions, had issues with his memory following a cardiac arrest in 2022 and had no recollection of the offences.

He was now living in around-the-clock supported accommodation and was considered by the probation service as being at low risk of reoffending.