A voyeuristic sexual predator who secretly filmed himself abusing a girl and downloaded child pornography, has been jailed for eight years.

Barry James White also placed a hidden wireless camera inside a torch and put it in a bathroom to covertly spy on two teenagers.

At Leicester Crown Court, the 57-year-old admitted four counts of sexual assault by penetration of one girl, whom he touched intimately.

He admitted two offences of making indecent images by filming the same victim and a second schoolgirl.

White also admitted making hundreds of indecent images of youngsters across the spectrum of five levels of seriousness, by downloading them from the internet.

James Varley, prosecuting, said that a "shocked and horrified" member of White's family chanced across a computer thumb drive containing some "disgusting" images and alerted the police. White confessed when questioned.

He claimed he became "addicted" to taking voyeuristic footage after getting a wireless camera, intending to blackmail his partner over repayment of money during the break-up of their relationship. However, it spiralled out of control.

He claimed that in the case of the girl who was 15, or younger, when he sexually abused her that he was "sort of helping her out".

The sex offences were committed in the Market Harborough area. Mr Varley said: "There was a large number of level four and five images on the harddrive of his laptop and two level five images were available to be shared.

"He created a library of images under a directory structure with different headings.

Paul Trotter, defending, said: "It started with stupidity and it just got worse from there. He found himself captivated.

"He's glad it's been brought to an end. He was arrested on February 25, 2008, and he admitted everything. About 1,000 images, including videos, were found by police and the court ordered their destruction.

Judge Hilary Watson said: "It's to your credit you've faced up to your responsibility and co-operated fully with the police.

"The offences were clandestine, secretive, concealed and intended to cause you the maximum of sexual gratification.

"You began this series of offending by viewing material and then carried on until the offences escalated and you became involved in sexual touching.

"You're of high risk of harm to children, with manipulative, controlling and pre-planned behaviour. You have an addiction and you described a collection and hoarding of material."

She said his victims had been "traumatised" by the events.

White, of Russell Street, Kettering, will be on a sex offenders' register indefinitely and was made the subject of a stringent 10-clause sexual offences prevention order, to restrict his activities on release, including banning him being unsupervised in the presence of a child, and so he can be monitored.