A PREDATORY paedophile with a sickening "step-by-step abuse manual" on his computer has been jailed for 12 years.

Alan Holmes, 36, who urged fellow perverts to "have fun and be creative," hoarded 70,000 indecent photos and videos of children at his home in Owlet Road, Shipley.

He was today described by Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC as "a truly dangerous predatory paedophile" who cried tears of self-pity in the dock at Bradford Crown Court.

The judge branded Holmes "dedicated to his depravity" after he filmed his abuse of a young girl.

Prosecutor Dave Mackay said police discovered more than 70,000 indecent images and movies at Holmes' address in July 2014.

They also found a PowerPoint-style movie that Mr Mackay described as a step-by-step guide on how to groom and abuse a girl from when she was born.

"It is clear that the intention of this item is not only the abuse of children, but the creation and sharing of images and movies of that abuse," he said.

The 20-page "manual" contained sickeningly graphic instructions and images of suggested abuse, the court was told.

It ended with a final slide urging abusers to "have fun and be creative".

Officers found dozens of indecent images of the abused girl and a four-minute video of her performing a sex act.

Holmes threatened to stab her if she told anyone.

While he was on bail pending further enquiries, he was twice caught with more indecent images and movies.

In total, he collected almost 44,000 indecent images and more than 5,000 movies.

Holmes, who had no previous convictions, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to a series of offences, including two charges of oral rape, sexual assault of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, making and possessing indecent images and possession of extreme pornography.

Judge Durham Hall said he had added to the girl's humiliation and degradation by photographing her in the act of abuse.

He had been following the "grooming and degradation" set out in "that foul and evil manual".

"It beggars belief that a human being could write such utter evil filth - a lecture to another human being about how to proceed about the awful sexual abuse of a child," Judge Durham Hall said.

The hoard of indecent material possessed by Holmes demonstrated that he was "dedicated to his depravity."

He must register as a sex offender for the rest of his life and the judge made a lifetime Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Holmes' barrister, Michael Collins, said he was extremely sorry and realised he was in need of "some repair" to his current mental state.

He was given an extended prison sentence that included six years on closely monitored licence.

Afterwards, a spokesman for West Yorkshire Police said: “We welcome today’s significant sentence and we would always encourage victims to come forward to the police. Our specialist team will take all reports seriously, deal with them sensitively and do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”