Paedophile who filmed a girl undressing at a beach and downloaded vile photos

A paedophile who filmed a girl undressing at a beach and downloaded vile photos will be set free in two weeks' time.

David Cadman, 65, was arrested after recording the nine-year-old girl while she was with her parents at New Brighton beach last August.

He was jailed for 16 months in November for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) in relation to the video.

However, Cadman was back in court today to be sentenced for possessing a collection of indecent images, including 20 images of children being raped.

Cadman, of Espin Street, Walton, admitted three counts of downloading and one count of possessing indecent images of children at a hearing last month.

Despite the severity of the images, Judge Anil Murray said he had already taken them into account when sentencing Cadman for the SHPO breach.

"The offences that are before the court today were known about at the time of my sentence and were part of the factual matrix of that sentence, because I had to assess culpability for the breach of his Sexual Harm Prevention Order and part of that breach was having those indecent images," Judge Murray said.

Police found Cadman's sickening stash, along with the video he took of the girl undressing, when they raided his home last August.

Liverpool Crown Court heard he had 20 Category A - the most serious category showing child rape - 14 Category B and 121 Category C files.

Judge Murray said: "The defendant has just told Ms McCloskey [Louise McCloskey, defending] that he is due to be released on April 14, which is about two weeks' time.

"Ms Williams, it seems to me that having already taken these into account, I ought not pass a sentence that would lengthen the defendant's stay in prison and I ought not pass a suspended sentence that would place him in further jeopardy."

In light of these circumstances, Judge Murray decided against a longer sentence or a suspended sentence.

He instead imposed a 28-day prison sentence, meaning Cadman will serve half of that term and be released in around two weeks' time.

"Clearly that doesn't reflect the guidelines, but this is an unusual case because I've already taken it into account," Judge Murray said.

Judge Murray also ordered Cadman to sign on the Sex Offenders Register for another seven years.

Cadman's indefinite SHPO was first imposed when he was jailed for 14 months for possessing indecent images of children in November 2015.

He has previously been convicted of indecent assault in 1977 and of exposure in 1990.

Last year, when officers raided Cadman's home and seized a black Sony mobile phone, they discovered he had wiped his internet history five or six weeks previously.

Cadman claimed this was due to an update, but the court heard it was obvious from the video of the girl on the beach that her parents were unaware she was being filmed.

When asked about the video, Cadman said: "I didn't know her, she was just on the beach with her family. I know it's wrong, I don't know why I did it."

Another mobile phone was seized along with a digital camera, a Samsung Galaxy tablet and four USB sticks, from which the indecent images were recovered. Officers also found a small amount of cannabis.

When asked last year what explanation her client gave for taking the video of the girl, Ms McCloskey said: "The main explanation which has been advanced is that he felt isolated and lonely.

"He didn't go out to commit any offences, took the photographs and realised what he did was wrong.

"When the police officers came there isn't an explicit denial of sexual motivation, but there isn't a full admission."