A CONVICTED paedophile caught twice more hoarding sexual images of children as young as babies has been jailed for 20 months.

Christopher Copley’s collection included a movie of a girl aged about seven in obvious pain as she was being abused, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Copley, 35, who was being held in Leeds Prison ahead of today’s sentencing hearing, had “deeply entrenched problems” that made him a high risk to young children throughout the world, Judge Colin Burn told him.

Prosecutor David McGonigal said that Copley was sentenced to a three-year community order in March 2018 for making and possession of indecent images of children.

He was made the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and ordered to sign on the sex offender register, both for five years.

Just over a year later, on April 11 2019, the police raided his home in Lee Mount Gardens, Halifax, and seized a laptop containing 170 category A movies, 86 category B movies and 41 still and moving indecent images of children aged between four and 15.

Mr McGonigal told the court that one little girl was clearly suffering pain at the hands of her abusers.

Copley had tried to hide his hoard on the laptop and there was evidence that he had deliberately searched for the images.

Less than a fortnight later, the police were back at Copley’s address, the court heard.

He had been allowed to return home and had bought another laptop. The category A, B and C indecent images of children found on it included the sexual abuse of a baby aged 12 months and of girls aged two to five.

Still on bail, Copley had a third laptop at his home when the police called again in August. It was believed to have more indecent images on it, Mr McGonigal said.

Copley’s barrister, Jonathan Turner, said the third laptop seized was never analysed.

Copley’s behaviour had spiralled out of control following the death of his father.

He admitted to his psychiatrist that he was looking for “bad stuff” on his computers.

Mr Turner said that keeping Copley in custody any longer would have a serious long-term effect on his mental health. He had already self-harmed by pouring boiling water on himself.

He suffered with agoraphobia and because he never went out of his house he did not come into contact with any children.

But Judge Burn told Copley: “There is life-long damage to very young children being abused all over the world to feed a market, and you are part of that market.”

Copley was jailed for 12 months with eight months consecutive for breaching the community order for his previous similar offending.

He must now sign on the sex offender register for ten years and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order was made for the same period.