A CONVICTED child rapist who amassed a collection of more than 16,000 indecent images and two paedophile manuals within months of being released from prison, has been sent back to jail.

Aaron Paul Walker, 24, of Sun Street, Stockton, was on licence from a previous four-year prison sentence for the rape of a boy under 14, Teesside Crown Court heard.

But a police officer visiting him at a Stockton hostel under the terms of his probation asked to see his phone, and found indecent pictures on it.

The officer went to check Walker’s laptop in his bedroom and found it playing a sickening video of a child.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said: “The defendant broke down at that point and admitted he had been downloading indecent images of children from the dark web.”

While on the way to custody he handed over a memory stick to police with several thousand further indecent images of children on it.

More than 16,000 indecent still and moving images were found on his laptop, featuring mainly boys aged from just two to ten, as well as some extreme pornography featuring animals, and two paedophile manuals.

Miss Atkinson added: “What was worrying were these paedophile manuals featured graphic abuse, and tips on how to avoid detection.”

Walker was recalled to prison and later released, but again his phone was found with thousands more indecent images.

Andrew Turton, mitigating on behalf of the defendant, said: “This is a complex individual with many needs and difficulties.

“There are very tragic and sad elements to the pre-sentence report. They are childhood issues which may well have informed his current thinking.

“He describes himself as a lonely, bored individual with a preoccupation with sexual matters.”

Judge Jim Spencer QC, sentencing Walker to four years in prison, said: “You amassed a great collection of indecent images and paedophile manuals. You were returned to prison because of a breach of your licence.

“When you were released once more you wasted no time before replenishing your collection again.”

Walker admitted three counts of making indecent images of children, one of possessing prohibited images, one of possessing extreme pornography and two counts of possessing paedophile manuals.