A HIGH risk sex offender was found with images of bestiality on a laptop within months of the expiry of the licence period from a lengthy prison sentence.

Former scoutmaster Paul Anthony Woodruff was jailed for 11 years in April 2003 for the rape and indecent assault of boys in his care, as well as for the possession of thousands of downloaded indecent images of children.

He was believed to have shared sex videos, featuring scouts and taken at his then Teesside home, with other scoutmasters, who were thought to be part of a paedophile ring.

Durham Crown Court heard that as a registered sex offender, Woodruff was visited at his home in Ferryhill by a police offender manager as part of a “high risk review”, on July 31 last year.

Chris Baker, prosecuting, said when asked, Woodruff denied having a laptop, but a device was found.

Mr Baker said the initial inspection identified “concerning” terms in the hard drive, such as “boy scout uniform” and “adult baby”.

It was seized and on further inspection some male pornography was found as well as 89 images of bestiality, featuring adult women and animals.

Mr Baker said Woodruff appeared “secretive” about the devices in his ownership and police found a phone hidden within another device, while it is thought another hard drive was not recovered.

Woodruff made no reply to questioning, other than to confirm he was the sole user of the computer.

Mr Baker added there was “real concern” about some of the images Woodruff appeared to be trying to source, while there was uncertainty over whether some of the material fell into the realms of being classed as “indecent”.

Fifty-four-year-old Woodruff, of Durham Road, Ferryhill, admitted a single charge of possession of extreme pornography, between May and July, 2014.

Eric Watson, mitigating, told the court: “It’s an unpleasant case. Although no indecent images of children were found, concerning and perverted images were recovered.

“It’s unfortunate he has re-offended so quickly on his release from custody.”

Jailing him for eight months, Recorder Andrew Stubbs told the defendant: “The background to your offending causes a great deal of concern, given it was so very shortly after your release from a very long sentence.

“When you were visited by police you were, frankly, as uncooperative as you could have been.

“Some of the search terms used causes the court a great deal of concern, but the view has been taken there was no criminal action in that.

“Hopefully, on your release, you won’t pose as much risk to the public as you are considered to, at the moment.”