A pervert who walked free after downloading more than 400,000 images and films of children being sexually abused has been jailed for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

But as Christopher Stead had served the eight month sentence imposed while on remand, he was due to be released immediately.

The 30-year-old former Network Rail employee was also facing 19 more charges of possessing and making hundreds of indecent images of children dating back to 2011.

But the prosecution offered no evidence on the charges after it was accepted they were left over from when he committed the original offences.

Maidstone Crown Court heard in November last year that Stead, of The Poplars, Gravesend, trawled through the material when he was out of work and depressed.

Videos included a young girl crying during her ordeal and a baby “possibly struggling” while being sexually assaulted.

He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for two years, with a condition to attend a sex offenders’ programme. He was ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work and a tagged curfew was imposed for four months.

Police made checks on Stead on January 18 and discovered he was in possession of a laptop computer, hard drive, SD cards, SIM cards, USB stick and mobile phone they had not been made aware of.

"The concern the police had about you remains and is real." - Judge Julian Smith

“The criminality here is he subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO),” said prosecutor Oliver Dunkin. “He knows the rules and what he should hand over.

“Various images were found but they appear to be a hangover from the original search two years before. The concern for the Crown is the ability to monitor him.”

James Ross, defending, said Stead, who is single and lives with his mother, lost his job at Network Rail after a disciplinary procedure as a result of his earlier offending.

“He began clearing out his bedroom which has 12 years of clutter in it,” said Mr Ross. “As he began to do that, he came across items he hadn’t looked at since 2011 which he suspected contained images he had been prosecuted for.

“He wasn’t sure what he should do. His fear was that the police’s opinion of him was such that if he went to them he would be prosecuted. He wasn’t sure how to safely dispose of it.

“He has never sought to hide it. He is very sorry. He is remorseful. It is accepted by all he never accessed it.”

Judge Julian Smith told Stead, who admitted breaching the SHPO: “You knew full well the situation and to that extent the breach is a serious one. The concern the police had about you remains and is real.

“I could activate the suspended sentence but its impact would be diminished. You know the consequences of misconduct now having been put into custody.

“The best way to control you and manage the risk is to leave not only the SHPO in place, but also the suspended sentence order.

“I warn you that further breaches will inevitably result in activation of that sentence.”

Stead was fined £140 and ordered to pay it at the rate of £10 a week.

End