Paedophile jailed after police find 'hidden' phone

Peter Barber has been handed a 13-year jail term by a judge in Cambridge

Police have told how officers found indecent images of children on a "hidden" mobile phone while carrying out a check on a convicted paedophile.

Specialist officers who manage sex offenders visited Peter Barber, 71, at his home in Norburn, Bretton, Peterborough, in January.

Thousands of indecent images of children were discovered on the device, "hidden" under Barber's bed covers.

Cambridgeshire Police released detail of their investigation after Barber admitted a series of sex offences and was handed a 13-year jail term.

Barber was sentenced at Cambridge Crown Court on 17 September.

A court official said he had admitted a series of offences, including: making an indecent photograph of a child, distributing an indecent photograph of a child, possessing extreme pornographic images, possessing a prohibited image of a child, arranging the sexual exploitation of a child under 13, and attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

'Serious risk'

Police said the sentence also took into account a breach of a sexual harm prevention order and failure to comply with sex offenders' register notification requirements.

Barber's phone had revealed thousands of category A abuse images - the most severe.

"During the visit, officers checked Barber’s mobile phone, which was hidden under his bed covers," said a police spokeswoman in a statement.

"They discovered thousands of indecent images of children, with nearly 4,000 deemed the most serious, category A.

"Officers also discovered evidence Barber had been initiating sexual communication with children he believed to be 11 and 12 years old."

Police said the prison sentence also took into account a breach of a sexual harm prevention order - and failure to comply with sex offenders' register notification requirements.

"Barber went to great efforts to conceal his continued sexual offending, with complete disregard for his sexual harm prevention order and notification requirements," added PC Emily Heriot.

"These new convictions reflect the serious risk he poses to children."