A CONVICTED west Cumbrian sex offender has been jailed after he secretly downloaded indecent child images – including one of a three-year-old being sexually abused.

At Carlisle Crown Court, 40-year-old Workington man David Mawson was jailed for a total of eight offences.

Two related to indecent child images that police found on his digital devices on April 16; the six other offences involved him breaching the internet restrictions that apply to people who are on the Sex Offender Register.

Brendan Burke, prosecuting, described the offending.

The background was an indecent assault which the defendant committed in 2002, for which he was jailed and put on the Sex Offender Register.

He breached the order's requirements in 2008.

Describing the recent images offences, Mr Burke said police visited the defendant’s home in Workington because they were checking whether he was complying with the restrictions that apply to his internet use.

They discovered that he had downloaded one Category A indecent child image – the most serious kind; and four which were classed as Category C.

The other offences related to Mawson failing to notify his offender manager that he was using various social media platforms, and failing to disclose the usernames he deployed to access the sites.

Sean Harkin, defending, said the best mitigation for Mawson, of Frazer Street, Workington, was that he stayed out of trouble for a long time, his last court appearance being in 2008.

The time already spend in custody would deter any repeat, said the lawyer.

Mr Harkin said a community sentence would be a community sentence which includes “targeted work” with Mawson.

Judge Michael Fanning said the defendant deliberately hid his internet use from the police officers monitoring him.

Ruling that Mawson was not currently 'capable of rehabilitation, the judge added: "It was manipulative and dishonest conduct,” said the judge.

He jailed Mawson for ten months. The defendant remains on the Sex Offender Register.