A FORMER soldier has been jailed for more than two years for his second conviction for possessing indecent images of children.

Paedophile David Western was a sergeant major serving in Colchester with more than 23 years service in the Army when he resigned in 2013 following the discovery of images of children on his computer equipment.

Western, 45, was handed a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, at Chelmsford Crown Court in April 2014.

He was convicted of possessing indent images of children and was ordered to attend an internet sex offenders’ treatment programme and also ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register.

In 2016, he admitted failing to comply with the notification requirements of the sex offenders’ register and was handed a community order.

Now Western, of Layer Road, Colchester, has been jailed for 26 months at Ipswich Crown Court after admitting five counts of making indecent images and one count of failing to comply with the notification requirement of the sex offenders’ register.

The paedophile’s actions were uncovered after police officers raided a caravan where he was living in January and seized a desktop computer and an iPad.

Officers found the equipment contained 137 images in Category A, the most serious level of offending, 112 Category B images and 981 Category C pictures.

Judge Martyn Levett also ordered Western’s name to be on the sex offenders’ register for ten years and made him the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period.

Western must also pay a £170 victim surcharge.

Speaking after Western was jailed, an NSPCC spokesperson said: “Western’s sustained offending has fuelled an appalling trade and behind every image is a young victim that will need support to recover.

“Vulnerable children have been seriously abused to create these images and it is right that Western will undergo treatment while in prison.

“The NSPCC is calling for every police force in the UK to have a specialist digital child abuse unit, trained to deal with online offences against children.”

The spokesman also urged anyone with concerns over a child to contact the NSPCC’s helpline 24 hours a day on 0808 800 5000.