A YOUNG man who was sent an indecent video of an underage girl has avoided an immediate prison sentence after a court heard of his intention to turn his life around.

Bradley Eaton, 20, was caught in possession of the illicit video after officers searched his home.

David Wilson, prosecuting at Ipswich Crown Court, said: “The investigation itself seems to stem from an initial investigation which wasn’t pursued in respect of communications by Mr Eaton with females he had either been in a relationship with or was acquainted with.”

When Eaton attended a voluntary interview at Colchester police station in March last year, he was told he was to be arrested on suspicion of harassment and he became upset.

As officers attempted to place him in handcuffs, he was heard to say “I’ve got mental heath issues, please, please, please”.

He struggled with the officer and “flailed around”.

A search warrant was later executed at his home and officers found an indecent video of a girl aged around 14 on a USB stick.

The court heard he had been sent the video, which was of the most serious Category A.

Eaton admitted the charges of making an indecent image of a child and resisting a police officer in the execution of their duty.

Philip Farr, mitigating, said Eaton had only just turned 18 when he committed the offences and is now a “remarkably different” young man.

He said: “This is not a young man deliberately soliciting images from underage girls because of some predisposition or interest in underage girls.”

Recorder Heather Rogers QC sentenced Eaton, of Queen Elizabeth Way, Monwick, Colchester, to eight months imprisonment, suspended for 16 months.

She said Eaton had accepted his actions were “unacceptable” and expressed determination to be on a “straight path” in a letter to the court.

She added it was “troubling” that Eaton had received the image, and described the harm such images cause.

Eaton must also pay a £100 fine and will sign the sex offenders’ register for ten years.