A REPEAT child sex offender had more than 2,000 indecent images, including videos of babies.

Cliff Butler, of Primrose Crescent, St Peter’s, Worcester had more than 800 indecent images of children in category A alone, which shows the worst kind of sexual abuse including rape, and over 2,000 images in total.

The 46-year-old admitted three charges of making indecent images when he appeared before magistrates in Worcester.

He admitted making 2,046 indecent images and films. Butler downloaded the images between January 21, 2019 and January 21, 2021 - and he had done the same thing before. Dressed in grey jogging bottoms and wearing a Covid mask exemption lanyard, he was asked to enter his pleas, telling the court: “Guilty, yeah, yeah.”

Aleigha Adams, prosecuting, said the images included children ‘as young as 12 months old to 15 years old, some of which showed children in discernible pain and distress’. Ms Adams said that the sentencing powers of magistrates were insufficient and urged them to commit matters to the crown court.

She also told the court that Butler had a previous conviction for a ‘like offence’ and breach of notification requirements for a sexual harm prevention order. This is an order put in place to protect children, placing controls on an offender’s use of the internet and restricting their contact with young people.

Barry Newton, defending, said Butler had previously been on the sex offender register for an offence in 2011 when he received a community order which had since expired. “He’s no longer on the register. His conviction today means you should order him to register” said the city solicitor.

Magistrates ordered him to ‘re-register’ at the police station as soon as he left court. A date at the crown court will be fixed at a later stage.

Bail was granted on condition he does not have contact with children other than is unavoidable in the course of daily life. An all-options pre-sentence report (which includes the possibility of custody) was also ordered.