AN ex-Parliamentary candidate from Bromsgrove has been given a suspended jail sentence for downloading images which showed children being sexually abused.

Jason Rutter, 49, was sentenced yesterday (January 27) at Worcester Crown Court after he pleaded guilty to five counts of making indecent images of children.

Police received information that a digital device was used at an address in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, to download indecent photographs of children and subsequently executed a warrant to search the property in November 2016.

Mr Rutter was not present at time of the search but several items were seized from his room.

Following the search, police made contact with Rutter who agreed to hand himself in and he attended Worcester Police Station on November 16, 2016, bringing with him a mobile phone and a laptop.

Prior to visiting the police station, he had used software in an attempt to forensically delete evidence of child abuse off the devices.

However, police were still able to locate 31 category A images showing children subjected to penetrative sexual activity, 69 category B images showing children subjected to non-penetrative sexual activity and 51 category C images on his devices showing images not falling within categories A or B.

Rutter admitted his guilt at Hereford Crown Court last month. Yesterday, he was given a total sentence of 11 months, suspended for two years with forfeiture and destruction of his computers and ordered to pay £1200 court costs.

Dawn Cartwright, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "We will always seek to prosecute those who commit these types of crimes.

"Rutter has received a criminal conviction for downloading these sickening images of vulnerable children.

"He will now be registered as a sex offender for 10 years and will be made subject of a device only sexual harm prevention order for 10 years which means he must not delete his internet history or use the internet or social media to communicate with any person under the age of 16.”