A MAN who was arrested after his former partner found indecent images of children on his mobile phone has been jailed for 13 months by a judge who described him as a “grubby paedophile”.

The woman discovered the phone on the back seat of her car after giving 41-year-old Dean Middler a lift in February last year and looked at it because she was suspicious, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

After discovering the indecent images of children she contacted the police and Middler was arrested and his flat searched, said Lynne Shirley, prosecuting.

When his phone was examined it was found to contain five still indecent images of children and six movies in the most serious level A category and eight still images and four movies in category B.

The court heard that some of the material showed young children being raped.

Messages were also discovered on Kik messenger between him and another man who had sent him the indecent material in which they discussed the images and videos and role play, said Miss Shirley.

After his arrest Middler gave police a prepared statement in which he said he had been sent the indecent images and videos by a man he didn’t know and claimed that as soon as he received them he said he didn’t want them.

Middler, of Hunting Gate, Colchester, admitted two offences of making indecent images of children and was jailed for 13 months.

He was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for ten years and ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for the same period.

Sentencing him, Recorder Graham Huston described Middler as a “grubby paedophile”

and said he had deliberately sought out the “disgusting” indecent images and videos.

He said Middler’s claim to police that he had received them without asking for them was “nonsense”.

The court heard that Middler had 68 previous convictions but none were for sexual offences.

Sasha Bailey for Middler said that her client had suffered a brain injury in the past and hoped to start a new career as a barber when he was released from prison.