A PAEDOPHILE who breached a court order by having more than 3,000 indecent images of girls between the ages of four and 12 has once again been jailed.

Abdul Muhid, 33, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, one of possessing indecent images of children, and two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) at Preston Crown Court.

Muhid was jailed for just over four years in 2011 for similar offences and for engaging in sexual activity with a child under 16. Upon his release he was made subject to SHPO but was found to have breached this on numerous occasions in 2015, 2017, and twice in 2019.

Prosecuting, Paul Cummings told the court: “In December 2019 police attended Mr Muhid’s address in Burnley.

“They recovered a Samsung phone which had been thrown out of a window by Mr Muhid in an apparent attempt to dispose of it, as well as other devices, and he was arrested.

“Upon examination, the Samsung phone was found to contain two category A images (the most severe), eight category B images and 3,106 category C images.

“Most of the images were dated from December 2019 and showed girls between the ages of four and 12.”

Mr Cummings said Muhid initially chose to provide a no comment interview but later pleaded guilty at pre-trial hearing in March.

Defending, Rachel Woods said a lengthy community order was more beneficial to her client’s rehabilitation and recovery.

Judge Mark Brown said: “It should not come as a great surprise that within a relatively short time of your release from prison you breached the order imposed on you on a number of occasions.

“I say ‘it comes as no surprise’ because when one looks at your record it reveals a number of breaches of an anti-social behaviour order in 2003, 2004 and 2006.

“You have yet again downloaded indecent images of children. There’s no doubt that the harm caused to these children by the dreadful abuse they have suffered would have been significant.

“I would be failing in my public duty if I was not to impose an immediate prison sentence.” Muhid, of Burns Street, Burnley, was sentenced to two years in jail.