A DISGRACED former soldier has avoided another jail sentence after being caught with indecent images of children for a second time.

Anthony Ellis’ stash of sickening images were uncovered after a plumber replacing the bathroom at his home in Charles Pell Road, Colchester, saw the screensaver of his laptop contained a picture of a naked young girl.

He estimated the girl to be 12 and was so concerned he reported Ellis to the police.

Police found three category B images which included girls as young as eight and 35 category C images and films across two laptops and a hard drive.

Ellis, 62, initially denied two counts of possessing the indecent images but admitted them before a trial.

In 2008, he was found with nearly 1,300 indecent images while serving as corporal in the Royal Military Police. A court martial in Germany handed him a year in jail before he was discharged.

Alexander Wright, mitigating at Chelmsford Crown Court, said Ellis’ previous convictions came after he suffered a heart attack, but on this occasion he was looking for adult images.

“He is not in good mental or physical health and his life fell apart as a result of his offending - he lost his career and his family,” he said.

Judge Patricia Lynch QC handed Ellis a four-month jail term, suspended for two years.

He must complete 40 rehabilitation days, a specialist programme for sex offenders and is subject of a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

“Children are precious, they should not be abused by adults, but protected,” she said.

“Everytime paedophiles like yourself tune in and watch this type of abuse more and more filth like this is perpetuated.

“Stay away from these sites and take time to consider the children subjected to the most horrid of things because of people like you.”