A SEX offender used the internet at his home address to view pornography.

Blackburn magistrates heard Michael Scott Hatton was banned from possessing any internet-enabled device which did not have a child pornography blocking programme installed.

When police carried out a compliance visit he left them waiting at the door for five minutes while he hid an iPad and a router.

Hatton, 29, of Isherwood Street, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to breaching requirements of a sexual offences prevention order. He was sentenced to 26 weeks in prison suspended for two years, made subject to a sex offender treatment programme and ordered to complete a 15-day rehabilitation activity requirement and pay £85 costs and £115 victim surcharge.

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said Hatton was jailed for nine months in 2010 for possessing indecent images of children and extreme pornographic images. He was made subject to their sexual offences prevention order which officers were enforcing when they called at his home.

"They were knocking on the door for five minutes before he answered," said Mrs Mann. "That made them suspicious as did the fact there was a USB cable connected to the port in his car. He admitted hiding his internet router in a foot stool and that he hid the iPad."

When he was interviewed Hatton admitted he had access to the internet and that he had hidden devices from the police when they last visited in May.

"He admitted he had downloaded images onto the device which is currently being examined," said Mrs Mann.

Colleen Dickinson-Jones, defending, said there had been a long period of complete compliance with the order.

"It is almost impossible to exist in the modern era without a computer," she added.