A BOYS’ BRIGADE volunteer who spent a decade downloading child pornography has been spared jail.

Ian Black, 54, of Yare Avenue, Witham, was caught with more than 17,500 images and videos including some of very young children experiencing the highest level of vile abuse.

Black worked for Essex Police for several years, volunteered with the boys’ brigade in Witham and was actively involved in the community.

But at the same time he would take pictures of children in playgrounds, and download ghastly pornography.

Black admitted four counts of making or downloading indecent images of children and a jury found him guilty of another six counts unanimously and within minutes.

Sentencing him at Chelmsford Crown Court today Judge David Turner QC said: “This is a sad and shameful day for you and a humiliating day for your wife of 23 years.”

He described Black’s claims he was investigating the dangers of internet grooming to give a talk to the Witham brigade as “near ridiculous” and “manifest nonsense”.

Among the images, and 85 videos, were 13 at the most serious level.

They were found on a laptop, computer and memory sticks belonging to Black.

Judge Turner QC said: “What may have begun with curiosity became an addiction.

“It involved highly illegal material, ghastly, dreadful material, in some cases of very young children.

“You have worked for the police in a responsible role. You were trusted by respectable people.

“There was also in your life a darker sector.

“This is not a victimless crime.

“The little children in those images are not robots or machines, they are sombody’s children corrupted by adults.

“They would not do it if there was no profit in it, they would not do it if there were not people like you who make use of it.”

None of the images were of any of the children connected to the boys’ brigade.

The pictures of children in playgrounds locally were not part of the charge but raised concerns.

Black was given a community order for three years with supervision.

He was ordered to take part in an internet sex offender programme, carry out 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,200 costs.

He will be on the sex offenders’ register for five years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order.

The order bans him from using the internet, deleting internet history, or possessing software capable of containing images.