A ‘dangerous sexual predator’ who was caught with more than 400 indecent images of children has been jailed for more than five years.

Brian Wood, of Goodway Gardens in London, was sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday after possessing hundreds of indecent images, some of which he had taken himself.

The 28-year-old was arrested at a home in Winsley Road in Colchester on November 19 last year after the Internet connection at the address was used to access indecent images of children.

Officers from Essex Police’s Police Online Investigation Team (POLIT) raided the property and seized Wood’s mobile phone containing the images and video.

All the children involved in the images have been identified.

Wood was later charged with possession of indecent images of children, two counts of making indecent images of children, attempting to distribute an inducement images, voyeurism, and sexual activity with a child.

He pleaded guilty to all the charges in July and has now been sentenced to five years and four months in jail.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Mark Peacock, from the Colchester Child Abuse Investigation Team, said: “Brian Wood is a dangerous sexual predator who poses a very real risk to children.

“He even had the audacity to claim during interview to be a paedophile hunter himself and wanted to expose the people who exploited and abused young children.

“His offending was discovered by some excellent work conducted by the POLIT where his true motives were uncovered.

“This conviction is the result of some excellent work between some of our different teams and emphasises we will catch and bring those to justice who exploit young vulnerable children in the community.”