FRIENDS of disgraced ex-teacher Eliot Easterby have defended the former Scout leader, saying he is a “kind man” and a “great guy”.

As revealed in the Daily Echo, the 44-year-old was found guilty of possessing and making hundreds of indecent images.

A judge also told the jury that a large number of boys’ underpants and internet searches for indecent images were found when police searched his home in Hamble.

Easterby, a former parish councillor and teacher at Sholing Technology College, was arrested in January last year after Canadian police tipped off their colleagues in Hampshire as part of a major international operation.

Detectives searched his address in Barton Drive and found ten DVDs and 669 indecent images on a computer, hard drive and three memory sticks.

The DVDs included titles such as Water Wiggles and More Water Wiggles, showing young boys in paddling pools.

At the hearing in Southampton Crown Court, Easterby – a former leader at Hamble Sea Scouts – did not deny that he had owned or made the images, but denied that they were indecent, pleading not-guilty to 14 counts of possessing or making indecent images of young boys.

However, a jury took less than an hour to find him guilty of 13 of the 14 charges he faced, with Judge Peter Henry saying he was “troubled” by the fact the boys’ underpants and internet search history were also found.

Daily Echo: Eliot Easterby outside Southampton Crown Court.

After the Daily Echo revealed his crimes yesterday some of his friends and former scouts defended him.

Matt Pearson, who said he was a former Scout in Hamble, said: “Eliot is an extremely kind man who would give up his spare time to help others.

“And it’s a shame to see this happen to such a great guy.”

Another former friend added: “He was and still is one of the most kind, friendly, considerate men that I have ever met, who would always put others before himself.

"Hundreds of people know and love Eliot and still continue to do so, myself and also my family always will continue to support Eliot.

“He has taught me so much in life, which I am forever grateful for.”

And another, Ian Moore, said: “He is a kind and truly committed man. He would do anything to help anybody at any time, day or night.”

He added that the Scout group was “struggling to come to terms with losing a very dedicated leader that gave his time to kayaking, power boating, sailing, football, shooting, archery up and down the country”.

Easterby was bailed ahead of sentencing on March 13 and Judge Henry ordered an interim sexual offences prevention order banning him from using devices to access the Internet, where history can be deleted or where images can be stored.