'Idiot' Raunds paedophile hid devices with sick pictures in dad's sheets

A convicted pervert hid an iPad containing sick pictures of children in his dad's sheets when he was busted by police again in Raunds.

Michael Watson was jailed for 28 months in 2019 after he was caught with a 'paedophile manual' and topless beach pictures of children.

Strict measures were put in place to monitor him when he was released from prison, including routine visits to check on his devices and internet use.

But when his Whitney Close home was visited more vile material was found - including pictures of young girls on a device he had hidden in his own dad's linen before answering the door.

Yesterday (Monday) at Northampton Crown Court the 23-year-old was jailed for 12 months.

The court heard Watson's offender manager visited his home on August 3 this year and knocked on the door, but nobody answered despite it being "obvious" he was there.

He later answered and let her inside when he was called but failed to inform her of a password for a PC when requested.

Prosecutor Andrew Peet said she checked his iPhone and it was soon clear he had used it to research indecent images of children, and had used a private browser called DuckDuckGo.

When spoken to Watson claimed he had used the browser the previous day and admitted: "I have been an idiot."

The paedophile, who appeared at court over videolink from HMP Peterborough, said his mental health had been poor and that he had screenshotted the images using his phone, adding that he didn't have any other devices.

But while he was in custody his dad rang police and told them he had found numerous devices hidden in his bed clothes, which included an iPad, USB stick and SD cards.

Mr Peet said: "The reality is he kept them hidden and he kept them secret."

The court heard Watson realised he had been caught and hid the devices when there was a knock at the door.

His devices were forensically analysed with two "mosaic-style" category B images of young girls aged between 10 and 12 found on the phone.

On the iPad were three category A images, three category B images and two category C images, again of young girls. Category A images are the most depraved.

Data revealed the images were downloaded on July 14 - three weeks before he was visited.

Watson later admitted three charges of making indecent images of children and two charges of breaching a sexual harm prevention order - one for failing to provide a password for a device and another for failing to make a device available for examination - when he appeared before magistrates.

Mitigating, Daniel Green said Watson suffered from a condition which affects his stomach and chest, which led to him not working and gave him an "easier opportunity" to commit the offences.

He said: "He simply says that he succumbed to temptation."

Sentencing, His Honour Judge Rupert Mayo said the paedophile had deliberately bypassed measures put in place to monitor him.

He said: "You are an intelligent man and you have clearly found ways to avoid the supervision and rehabilitation elements of what happens after you have been released from custody."

Watson was jailed for 12 months and will serve up to half in custody before being released on licence.

A fresh sexual harm prevention order, restricting his use of the internet and devices, was made for 10 years.