A former Masterton council worker who played strip poker with a young boy before sexually abusing him has been jailed for two and a half years.

Andrew John Gray, 41, who worked as a building inspector, last month admitted one charge of unlawful sexual connection with a boy, one of indecent assault and 43 charges of possession of sexual images of children.

On Friday he was sentenced in Wellington District Court to two and a half years jail, according to media reports.

The court heard how Gray struck up a friendship with the boy and in August last year he invited him to help with some recycling for a local sports club. Instead Gray took the boy to his house where they played strip poker before the abuse took place.

Police found over 4000 images and movies on hard drives at Gray's home. A sample showed 43 of these were objectionable showing children as young as three.

Judge Susan Thomas said the boy's parents felt betrayed.

Defence lawyer Jock Blathwayt says his client did not act violently and the offending itself was only brief.