SORDID images of children as young as six were found on floppy disks which a bored pervert claimed to have found by mistake.

Police raided Waitrose worker Leslie Warren’s home in Mumford Road, West Bergholt, after an indecent picture was uploaded to the internet on a file sharing website.

Officers traced the IP address to Warren’s home and seized a computer, hard drive, mobile phone and the dated storage disks.

More than 250 indecent images were discovered, including 52 category A which is the most serious, as well as others showing sexual activity with animals.

When he was arrested Warren, 59, told police he had been searching for non-pornographic images and mistakenly looked at the pictures online.

He also told officers he had found the disks in a skip and had no idea the explicit pictures were stored on them.

Chelmsford Crown Court heard Warren had been diagnosed as having an addictive personality and had previously struggled with drinking excess alcohol and had also cross dressed.

Warren looks after his disabled son who suffers with a severe form of epilepsy and requires round-the-clock care.

He admitted one count of possession of an extreme pornographic image, and three counts of possession of indecent photographs of children.

Kunleet Dobe, mitigating said: “It is very sad because he has never been in trouble before.

“He had been working in Waitrose but voluntarily disclosed to them about the proceedings and lost his job.

“His son suffers seizures everyday - he could hurt himself and is a risk to his own life.

“The toll it has taken on him is pretty big and the intimacy with his wife has gone.

“At some level the boredom in his life led to this offending.”

Warren has asked for help from child sexual abuse charity the Lucy Faithfull Foundation.

The images were uncovered in 2015, but have only just come to court.

Judge David Pugh handed Warren a two-year community order with 40 rehabilitation requirement days and 180 hours of unpaid work.

He must also complete a sex offenders programme and was given a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

The judge said: “It is important you understand these are not victimless crimes.

“It is because of you these sorts of images and videos are made.”