A registered sex offender has been jailed after his phone was found to contain 129 indecent images of children.

Paul Knight, from Minster, pleaded guilty to sexual offences involving children in 2021 and became subject to strict conditions on his conduct.

A 10-year sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) along with sex offender notification requirements (SONR) included restrictions around his interaction with young people, use of the internet and phones, and possession of bank cards.

He was also required to install monitoring software on his internet-enabled devices.

On November 10, 2023, police made an unannounced visit to Knight’s home, and there was a delay before he answered his door.

He then handed over his mobile phone for inspection and stated it was his only device.

However, Knight was arrested as officers suspected he had bypassed the monitoring software on the phone.

Police then searched his property and recovered an iPhone hidden inside a wardrobe. It was locked, and Knight said it did not belong to him.

They also found he had bank cards that he had not declared to the police.

The next day, Knight, of Queenborough Road, was charged with five breaches of his SHPO, three breaches of his SONR, and possessing indecent images of a child.

He was remanded in custody, and his two phones were then sent for further digital forensic examination.

When investigators gained access to his iPhone, they found he had been communicating with multiple young girls online for several months.

He had been engaging in sexually explicit conversations and had sent indecent photos of himself whilst asking for illegal ones in return.

‘Knight has shown that he remains a danger to children...’

His phones also contained a total of 129 indecent images of children, including one of the most serious category.

Knight was further charged with 13 counts of causing and attempting to cause a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of making indecent images of children.

The 61-year-old pleaded guilty to all the indictments at Maidstone Crown Court.

On Monday (June 9), he received an extended sentence with a total of eight years and three months' imprisonment.

On his release, he will be required to complete an additional four years on licence. Knight will also be subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order.

Detective Constable Jamie Easdown said: “We regularly visit registered sex offenders living in our communities to monitor their conduct and ensure they are complying with any conditions in place to prevent further crimes.

“We install software on their devices to monitor activity online and will promptly complete searches at home addresses if we suspect further offences.

“In this way, we endeavour to protect the most vulnerable in our community.

“Knight has shown that he remains a danger to children and once his crimes were discovered, he was swiftly arrested and brought back before the court to answer for his actions.”