A FORMER RAF corporal has been jailed for a second time, after his "inability" to stop taking pictures of youngsters in the street and looking at indecent images of children.
Shaun McCandless, 50, was jailed for 15 months after he admitted three breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order imposed in 2007 and possessing indecent images of children.
Grimsby Crown Court heard McCandless, of Binbrook, had been living at an address on Grimsby's Grange estate when the original offences took place.
He "lived in a fantasy world" and police had found children's underwear during a search of his home.
Neil Coxon, prosecuting, told the court McCandless' predilection for young girls had come to light in March 2003 when he was convicted of making and possessing indecent images of children and jailed for four months.
However, no Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made and, in June 2007, Humberside Police successfully applied to Grimsby And Cleethorpes Magistrates' Court for one to be imposed, after "concerns" about his behaviour.
The order was designed to prevent further offending and included banning him from:
Owning or accessing a computer or smart phone for anything other than employment or training.
Taking pictures, videos or digital recordings of females under the age of 16.
Inviting girls under the age of 16 into his home.
Deleting his internet history.
They had visited his then-home on the Grange estate earlier that year, and found pornographic films featuring young teenage girls.
They also discovered 122 photographs, the majority of which had been taken covertly, of children playing in the street on the estate.
But on July 15 this year, a police risk assessment officer was passing the address and found a group of children, all under the age of 14, playing in his garden.
The children were removed and officers spoke to him, returning the following day to search the house.
Mr Coxon told the court the officers found some children's shoes and underwear – although there was no suggestion of any physical activity with any child – a mobile phone and a laptop.
Mr Coxon said: "Because of concerns relating to children in the area and concerns about his safety, he was advised to move, which he did."
However, when officers attended his new address in Binbrook, on August 5 they discovered two more smart phones. On one were pictures of two children playing in the village.
Forensic analysis of all the devices uncovered an indecent image of an eight-year-old, pictures of three to 12-year-olds in swimwear, 10 to 14-year-olds in pyjamas and internet searches for children and sexual activity.
McCandless had also installed software to prevent pictures from being accessed and to permanently delete his internet history as far back as 2012.
Mitigating, Katya Saudek said McCandless was "crying out for help" and wanted to stop his behaviour.
She told the court he "lived in a fantasy world" and that at no point had he sought to engage in sexual activity with a child.
She also said he suffered from depression and that he had the support of his family, including his son, but feared he would not get the help he needed in prison.
However, Judge David Tremberg said it was his public duty to jail McCandless who he said was "either unable or unwilling to comply with the order" that had been put in place to help curb his offending.
He also imposed a new Sexual Offences Prevention Order, which will remain in place indefinitely.
