A man who downloaded more than 17,000 indecent pictures of youngsters being abused has been jailed for 16 months.

It is the second time James Banacek (25) has been locked up for viewing and storing child pornography on his computer.

On Thursday, Leicester Crown Court was told he began amassing a vast collection of sickening images following his release from his last sentence – despite being on a sex offenders rehabilitation course.

Victoria Rose, prosecuting, said Banacek was on an extended licence period and subject to risk assessment by a public protection management team.

When officers inspected his computer in February last year, at his then home in Cosby, they found the indecent images, including children as young as five being abused.

Banacek pleaded guilty to 10 counts of making indecent images and movies across the range of five categories of seriousness, since August 2006.

The charges related to 60 images and 19 movies of the most serious kind, at level five.

There were 558 images and 141 movies at level four, 508 images and 61 movies at level three, 94 pictures and 31 movies at level two as well as 5,757 images and 88 movies at level one.

Ms Rose said Banacek was estimated to have downloaded in excess of 17,000 images at level one.

She said that not everything was inspected on Banacek's computer and CDs.

The estimate was based on a sample, and that 32% of all the material checked consisting of child pornography.

Ms Rose said the website from which he obtained the images has been shut down.

In 2005, Banacek was jailed for 10 months, with a three-year extended licence period, for downloading, possessing and distributing illegal images of children.

Passing sentence, Judge Simon Hammond said: "It's terribly serious.

"The defendant had completed a sex offenders prevention course and it's a tragedy it didn't work."

The judge said the maximum sentence after a trial would have been two years and he was giving a discount for the guilty pleas.

Banacek will be on a sex offenders register for ten years and was made the subject of a series of "stringent" restrictions under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, to protect the public.

Rosa Dean, defending, said: "When on the course he was taught about victim empathy and reduced his viewing, but once the course finished he put the awareness of the victims to one side.

"It was inevitable he was going to be caught because of the checks he was subjected to.

"He's socially isolated and a pathetic figure.

"He knows he needs help and needs to cease using the internet.

"He's surprised at the number of level four and five images in his possession, which he transferred to CDs. He's disgusted with himself.

"If he doesn't stop he will bring even more shame on his family."