A dangerous paedophile who identifies as a woman and has shown the utmost contempt for the legal system, his lawyers and probation, by refusing to leave his cell to attend his sentence hearing, has been jailed again.

Stuart Bulling, who was convicted in 2019 of up-skirting and making indecent images of children, refused to appear in court on Friday for his most recent hearing, in which he was to be sentenced for five counts of making indecent images of children and nine breaches of his sexual harm prevention order, which he pleaded guilty to in March.

Bob Elias, defending at Preston Crown Court, said 54-year-old Bulling, “expressed his contempt for the court, his lawyers, and me”, to which Recorder Michelle Brown said by absenting himself from court she was satisfied it was, “an attempt to disrupt proceedings”.

Paul Brookwell, prosecuting, said police visited Bulling’s home address in May last year and asked to see his devices.

Mr Brookwell said: “He was spoken to by officers and said he didn’t have any other devices other than a mobile phone.

“But police then found three SD cards, which Bulling said held ‘a lot of bad stuff’, and eventually various other devices linked to the internet which had not been registered or presented to the police when asked.

“They were examined, and VPNs and cleaning software were found on them, which had been used to access the dark web, which indicates an effort to hide his activity from others.

“Officers also found 125 category A indecent images of children (category A being the worst), 93 category B images, 42,587 category C images, seven extreme pornographic images and one prohibited image.

“Some of the children in the images were as young as three.

“There were just over 34,000 files that weren’t examined by the police due to the sheer volume that had been uncovered already.”

Mr Brookwell said police also found various videos recorded by Bulling himself, of him walking round Blackburn town centre, filming children, and while not illegal, were disturbing.

Bulling was interviewed and provided no comment, but later pleaded guilty to all the offences.

Defending, Mr Elias said: “He says he hates probation and blames his past offending on social services and probation.

“He identifies as a woman in his normal life and there were images taken by him in Blackburn Market of children.

“He says he collects these images like cigarette cards or football cards and will swap them with people.

“This is a worrying and disturbing case.”

Bulling, formerly of Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, has 11 convictions for 57 offences, all of a similar nature, including some for indecent assault and another for sexual assault on a child under the age of 13.

Michelle Brown, sentencing, said: “You were released from your 2019 sentence in September 2021 and only one month later did police receive information that you were communicating with another sex offender.

“When they arrived at your home in May last year they found three SD cards which you said contained some ‘really bad stuff’, putting you in breach of your order.

“What the police found was vile and disturbing. The fear, pain and distress these children went through is unimaginable.

“People like you create, and add to this evil market for your own pleasure and sexual gratification.

“It’s a worry, in filming children like you did, without their knowledge, that you were setting up your next victims.

“I have considered your mitigation of which there is very little, and not just because you refused to attend today but because there is little that can be said on your behalf.

“It’s clear that you are significantly high risk and I am satisfied that you present a high risk of re-offending.”

Bulling was handed an extended sentence made up of three years eight months in prison and three years on extended license, totalling six years eight months.

He was also made subject to an indefinite sexual harm prevention order and must sign the sex offender’s register for life.