A RETIRED teacher from Llanidloes has been given a suspended jail term after admitting possessing hundreds of indecent images of children.

Martin Llewelyn, 76, of Parc Llwyn, Llanidloes, had pleaded guilty in Welshpool Magistrates Court to three charges of making indecent images of children.

Appearing at Mold Crown Court for sentencing, it was heard that there were 25 Category A images, 28 Category B images and 178 Category C images, involving children as young as four, all downloaded to his laptop between September 2015 and February 2019.

His offending came to light when an IT support technician at a computer repair shop received a call from Llewelyn about accessing links, and when the technician remotely accessed Llewelyn's laptop he was concerned about some of the links and searches that he found.

The police searched Llewelyn's home that evening, seized his laptop and found the images, links, searches and websites on his computer indicative of him possessing indecent images.

Gordon Cole, defending, said Llewelyn "expresses contrition and remorse", and that he was a man of previous good character.

Having read a pre-sentence report, Recorder Paul K Lewis QC, drew back from sending Llewelyn straight to immediate custody, and handed him a suspended prison sentence.

He said: "On February 4 (2019) your computer was undergoing repairs when in the course of those repairs a technician saw certain searches had been made which gave him cause for concern.

"I am satisfied you were seeking images for your own sexual gratification."

For the possession of Category A images, Llewelyn was sentenced to eight months in prison suspended for two years.

For possessing the Category B and C images, Llewelyn was sentenced to prison for four months and one month concurrently, also suspended for two years.

Llewelyn will also undertake 30 rehabilitation days with the probation service and has been made subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order running for 10 years.