A convicted paedophile has been given a community order after indecent images of young girls were found on his Xbox last year.

During a routine visit to James Baylis’s Colchester home in April last year a public protection officer asked to see his Xbox and on it found four pictures of girls aged nine to 11 posing in their underwear, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

When Baylis was questioned about the pictures he admitted searching for images of girls aged four to 16 and said he had hoped to see them in their underwear if he “was lucky.”

Baylis, 52, of Harwich Road, Colchester, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order and possessing four indecent images of children in the lowest level C category.

He was given a three-year community order and ordered to attend a sex offenders’ programme.

He was also ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work and given a rehabilitation requirement of 30 days.

The court heard that in 2008 Baylis was jailed for six years for nine offences of sexually assaulting a child under 13.

The court heard that he was keen to receive help from the probation service.