A CONVICTED paedophile who viewed more than 1,200 sickening images of child abuse has been jailed for two years.

Durham Crown Court heard pictures showing men having sex with children as young as three were found on a mobile phone belonging to Paul Lamb.

Police visited the 49-year-old at his home in Shelley Court, Pelton Fell, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, as part of his ongoing supervision as a registered sex offender.

Lamb served a short jail term in 2009 when he was convicted of 16 counts of making indecent images and one count of possession.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register and was also made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order.

As part of the conditions he was forbidden from using the internet, except in a public library or a place of work.

The court heard he pleaded guilty to breaching the terms of the order, and the requirements of the register by offending further.

He also admitted 18 counts of possessing indecent images between April and September this year.

Lamb was caught when a mobile phone with internet capability went off in his pocket during the police visit and officers asked if he was breaching the terms of his order.

He replied: “I think I am.”

The disturbing images included 251 category A pictures, the most serious, as well as 280 category B and 673 category C.

Prosecuting, Chris Baker, said: “The mobile telephone was analysed at the computer crime unit.

“Analysis showed there were 1,204 images on the internet history.

“The defendant was arrested and he admitted accessing the internet.

“He had a sexual preference for teenage girls”.

The court heard he was not supposed to use an alias but identified himself on the internet as Davros 2000 and Davros 1966.

Chris Morrison, mitigating, said he had been diagnosed as suffering from a borderline personality disorder and had been under a lot of pressure following the death of his wife.

He said: “He is very sorry and shameful of what he has done.

“He did express some regret.”

Judge Simon Hickey jailed him for two years and said he would serve half in custody and the rest on licence.

Jailing him, he said: “These are very young children who must have been abused.

“They must have suffered serious harm.”