A POLICE officer found in possession of images depicting the sexual abuse of children was told he "should be deeply ashamed" after suffering "a spectacular fall from grace".

Benjamin Allen, 30, was arrested after police acted on intelligence indecent images of children had been accessed at his home in Colchester.

Ipswich Crown Court heard police searched his bedroom after executing a search warrant in August last year.

Three devices were seized from the defendant, who was at the time a serving officer with Essex Police.

Across a computer, a mini-disk and Allen's mobile phone, police found four still and two moving indecent images at the most serious Category A.

Also found were two still images at Category B and 113 images at Category C.

Allen, of Ipswich Road, Colchester, admitted five counts of possessing indecent images of children after initially denying the charges.

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Isobel Ascherson, prosecuting, said: "Although many of the images may have been accessed by the defendant before he was a serving officer for Essex Police, it is clear a number were created after he had become a police officer."

The court heard a Category A image found on Allen's devices involved the rape of a six-year-old child.

Shade Abiodun, mitigating, said Allen "struggles to provide an explanation" as to how the images ended up on his devices.

She said: "Certainly he would say they were not images he was regularly viewing or that he intentionally searched for them online.

"There is nothing in the prosecution papers to suggest the relevant search terms one might expect due to the nature of the images found on the devices."

Ms Abiodun said Allen had asserted he "has no sexual interest whatsoever" in children.

"The biggest thing for him is what he has lost," she said.

"He was a police officer, his relationship has now ended, as a result of his conviction his access to his young daughter is limited."

She said Allen "only had himself to blame", but added her client is remorseful, after the "embarrassment and shame" he had brought to those close to him.

"He has done his best as regards to picking up the pieces of what is left of his life," she added.

Judge Emma Peters said: "Let me be clear. The courts deal with those who possess such images all too regularly.

"You will know that, because you were a police officer for a period of time.

"The problem with these images, whether stills or movies, is they involve the abuse of children and therefore those who view those images fuel that abuse.

"We've got one video here which is particularly troubling, of a six-year-old girl, tied to a bed, being raped.

"One only has to imagine how that child's life could possibly recover after suffering that abuse.

"You were a police officer and at a time when the public are looking to the police, expecting them to display high standards and rightly criticising them when they don't, to find a police officer in the dock charged with such offences will no doubt trouble them.

"That's something you should be deeply ashamed of."

She added: "Rightly, you've lost that career and you've lost that good name.

"You've lost your family, your partner, she has quite understandably taken the view she doesn't want to be with you anymore... A spectacular fall from grace you suffered, but those who possess such images must be treated seriously, it is only that way this will be brought to an end."

Judge Peters said most of the images dated back to a time before he joined the police, with a small number of Category C images accessed after he joined the force.

She said it seemed Allen had "come into this world" after "becoming almost addicted" to adult pornography, before "moving on from there".

The judge found as the defendant had committed no previous offences and had shown remorse, there was "room for rehabilitation".

Allen was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with conditions to complete a 40-day rehabilitation activity requirement and 140 hours of unpaid work.

He was ordered to complete a programme designed for sex offenders, was placed on the sex offender's register for ten years and ordered to comply with a ten-year sexual harm prevention order.

'His behaviour undermined our core values'

Essex Police confirmed an accelerated misconduct hearing took place in early September.

An allegation of gross misconduct was proven and the hearing concluded Allen would have been dismissed had he not already resigned.

He was also added to the College of Policing Barred List.

Chief Constable Harrington said: “The public expect the highest standards of the entire police family. 

"To pose such a blatant risk to the very people we are here to protect is not and never will be acceptable.

“Our job is to protect the most vulnerable members of our communities, and unquestionably, this officer’s behaviour undermined our core values

“We will continue to root out any officer who behaves in a similar way.”