A pensioner who claims he was addicted to viewing indecent child images was found to have built up a collection of nearly 4000, a court was told.

William Bradbeer, 67, who works in IT, started downloading the images over a 10-year period, and when police searched his home in Hethersett and seized his computers, a total of 3988 images were found, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Kevin Eastwick, prosecuting, said the images featured young boys under the age of 16 and he told police that he had an obsession for collecting the images.

'He realised since police arrested him he needed to take action for his addiction.'

Mr Eastwick said that Bradbeer had sought help through the church he attended.

Bradbeer, of Lakeland Way, Hethersett, admitted possession of indecent images and was jailed for six months.

He was also placed on the sex offenders' register for seven years and made subject to a sexual offences prevention order.

Jailing him Judge Nicholas Coleman said that the images of young boys in a variety of poses were 'particularly distasteful' to those who did not share his 'deviant obsession.'

'It is described as an obsession or addiction. The evidence is that over a period of 10 years you satisfied your desire by downloading a sizeable collection of these images.'

However he accepted that Bradbeer had not shared or distributed any of the images and had not used his IT skills to destroy or hide what he had done.

'You have recognised that you have a problem and have engaged in ways of addressing it. I think you have learned your lesson.'

Jonathan Goodman, for Bradbeer, said that he realised he had an obsession for these images, which was brought to an end by the intervention by the police.

'It has in effect woken him up to the harm that is caused by merely viewing images which are so readily available on the internet'

He said that Bradbeer worked in IT and said: 'There is no evidence at all that he used his technical expertise to remove evidence of what he had been doing.'

He said that having realised his problem was out of control Bradbeer had sought help.

'He has made strenuous efforts of his own accord.'

He said that he had told his church he attends and was getting help through a course. He said Bradbeer's wife was standing by him.

'This is a man who truly needs help and by engaging with that help perhaps it will avoid a repetition in the future.