A 33-YEAR-OLD pervert was caught breaching a sexual offences prevention order because of a 'vigilante' poster and leaflet campaign.

Blackburn magistrates heard police went to Jason Leonard's home because of concerns for his safety.

MORE TOP STORIES:

But when he was questioned about a laptop computer Leonard eventually unearthed a hard drive he had buried in a plant pot.

Prosecutor Catherine Allan told the court that device was being examined and further charges could follow.

Leonard, of Pilling Street, Haslingden, pleaded guilty to breaching a SOPO and was sent in custody to Burnley Crown Court to be sentenced.

Miss Allan said Leonard had been sent to prison for 32 months in June 2013 for internet child porn offences. He was also made subject to a SOPO which prohibited him from having any encryption device or access to the internet.

After his release a number of posters and leaflets had been distributed in the community, telling people he was a sex offender and a risk to children.

"Officers paid him a protection visit because of concerns for his wellbeing and found a laptop in the room which had recently downloaded files," said Miss Allan.

"He couldn't explain how he had managed to download without access to the internet and then recovered the hard drive from the plant pot in the kitchent.

"He knew he shouldn't have had it and he lied to officers about having it."

She said the hard drive had been wrapped in a plastic bag before being buried.

Jonathan Taylor, defending, said his client had already been recalled on prison licence.

During the previous hearing in 2013, Leonard admitted charges of distributing an indecent photograph of a child in January 2011, and allegations of making an indecent photograph of a child, between August 2011 and January last year.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register indefinitely, was banned from working with children for life, and was given an indefinite sexual offences prevention order.

Under the order, he was not allowed to use any device capable of accessing the internet, unless it has the capacity to retain, and display, the history and he made it available for inspection by police on request.

He was also prohibited from deleting the history, using any software that deletes it, and was not allowed to possess any device capable of storing digital images unless he made it available for police inspection on request.