A MAN who kept a laptop with images of child abuse on it three weeks after being placed on a sex offenders’ programme has been jailed.

Christopher Hayes, 43, bought the computer second hand then left it in a bedroom under a duvet when police knocked on his door, a court heard.

Officers found that it contained 16 indecent images of children and a further seven of youths engaging in sexual activity with adults, Cardiff Crown Court heard.

Hayes, of Gelli Lane, Pontllanfraith, had been sentenced for keeping indecent images of children three weeks earlier, the court heard. Jailing him for 24 weeks, Judge David Wynn Morgan said: “You are a high risk to children and the potential harm to children is increased by alcohol. This court cannot allow a flagrant breach of the law imposed just three weeks before.”

Hayes bought the laptop from a second-hand store in Blackwood in February 2012, prosecutor Joanna James said. By teatime that day he was already viewing indecent images, the court heard.

Ms James said the laptop contained 16 level one images and seven level three images. The worst images are classified as level five.

Hayes had been made the subject of a three-year supervision order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for five years in January 2012, the court heard.

The order involved keeping appointments as part of a sex offender group programme.

The order was imposed after Hayes was sentenced for four counts of making indecent images of children and another count of possessing indecent images of children.

Steve Thomas, for the defence, said his client had committed the new offences at the very beginning of his supervision order before a full intervention could start.

Hayes pleaded guilty to 11 counts of making indecent photographs of children and two counts of possessing indecent photos of children for the new offences. Judge Wynn Morgan let the original supervision order run and imposed a sex offences prevention order stopping him from having any unsupervised contact and living with children under 16.