A SEX offender has been jailed after probation officers found hundreds of indecent images of children on his computer.

Nicholas Phipps, 63, of Monkton Street, Ryde, was on a sexual harm prevention order for a previous offence when officers carried out a search of his property, as part of the order.

Prosecutor Kelly Brocklehurst told Isle of Wight Crown Court that the search found 236 category C indecent images of children as young as five years old.

Phipps pleaded guilty to the offence.

In 2016, Phipps was convicted of meeting a child after sexual grooming and was imprisoned.

Upon release, he was convicted again in 2017 for having indecent images, for which he was made subject to a 36 month community order.

With this most recent offending, he is in breach of that order, Mr Brocklehurst said.

"He is continually offending in this way," Mr Brocklehurst said. "He has failed to comply with court orders and he tried to cover his tracks by deleting images."

A probation officer told the court that Phipps had recently completed a sex offenders programme for the second time.

"He has exhausted all treatment options, but this has not stopped him reoffending," the officer said.

For Phipps, Russell Pyne said: "He is doing his best to minimise the risk he poses to the community."

Sentencing, Recorder Anna Midgley said: "You have a long-standing criminality of sexual interest in children.

"You pose a high risk of sexual harm to children and your behaviour is not manageable in the community."

Phipps was sentenced to 16 weeks in prison at Isle of Wight Crown Court today (Thursday).

A previous sexual harm prevention order will remain in place.

He will also have to pay a £115 surcharge.