A SERIAL sex offender has been branded 'dangerous’ after admitting sharing videos of ‘extremely depraved’ child sex abuse.

Two mobile phones seized from Stephen Midgley showed he had stored hundreds of images of children being sexually abused as well as emailing some of the most sickening videos to other, unknown people.

The compulsive sex offender was jailed for ten years after pleading guilty to a catalogue of offences including distributed child sex abuse images, breaching the conditions of his sexual harm prevention order and breaching bail conditions.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the 27-year-old farmer worker had been jailed in 2015 for similar offences when he admitted in court “I just can’t help myself”.

Harry Hadfield, prosecuting, said Midgley had pleaded guilty to 12 charges that included images of the abuse of children ranging from just six months old to young teenagers.

He said hundreds of the pictures fell into the most serious category with nine videos being emailed to individuals.

In mitigation Midgley’s barrister Stephen Constantine told the court that his client was involved in a network of sex offenders would be a ‘step too far’.

Mr Constantine urged Judge Stephen Ashurst to credit Midgley with admitting the offences at the earliest opportunity.

Sentencing Midgely to an extended ten-year sentence, Judge Ashurst branded him danger to the public after a psychiatric report highlighted the high risk of him re-offending.

The Judge said: “I do not propose to set out in great detail the nature of the images in the charges that you have admitted but these include some extremely depraved images of some very young children.

“They are of a particularly depraved nature; they include the rape and abuse of very young children by adult offenders. You do qualify as a dangerous offender. I’m satisfied that there is a significant risk of you committing further offences and causing serious harm.”

Midgley, of Leybourne Terrace, Stockton, was given 11 concurrent sentences of two years on top of the ten years for the distribution of category A child sexual abuse images. He was also given a sexual harm prevention order until further notice.