A PAEDOPHILE who raped a young boy has been jailed after he was found in possession of hundreds of disturbing images of child abuse.

Police visited convicted sex offender Daniel Lowe and when they examined his laptop and mobile phone officers discovered graphic content on the devices.

The 21-year-old, of Rennie Street, Ferryhill, was convicted of four counts of rape against a boy in 2012, when he was 17.

He served half of a two-year detention and training order and was released in 2013.

But when officers visited him in October last year his laptop was examined and more than 200 category A, the most extreme kind, of photographs and videos were discovered.

A further visit two months later led to the discovery of more files on a mobile phone.

A total of 705 pictures and films were found and included children as young as three being forced to perform sexual acts and one involving a nine-year-old girl was said to include a dog.

Joanne Kidd, prosecuting, said: “There was a high volume of category A images. The victims were in obvious pain and distress. Images of pre-teen children were being looked for. Children as young as three up to 14. The offences were committed while on licence.”

Lowe appear at Durham Crown Court on Friday where he previously admitted two counts of making indecent images of children.

Scott Smith, mitigating, said: “This is a young defendant with a distorted way of thinking. He needs treatment or intervention to address his distorted thinking.

“There are steps that can be taken.”

He was sentenced to a year in custody for the images and had his licence period extended to five years, which means he will have to satisfy a parole board he is no longer danger to children before he can be released.

Judge Christopher Prince, Recorder of Durham, said: “Mr Lowe’s current behaviour is extremely disturbing. He has an ongoing sexual interest in children. He is very sexually interested in pre-teen children.

“He has deliberately sought out graphic images of children to satisfy his sexual fantasies. He is a high risk of harm to male and female children.”

Lowe will be required to sign the sex offenders register for a period of ten years and on Friday of this week prosecutors will apply for him to be made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.