A man who took photographs of himself as he sexually abused a girl aged under ten has been jailed for 14 years.

And Christopher Court will be on licence for an extra five years after a judge ruled he presented a significant risk of serious harm in the future.

Court, 33, was caught after police in America spotted he had distributed indecent images and made vile boasts about what he would like to do to children.

The authorities across the Atlantic passed the information to Wiltshire police who raided his Chippenham home in April last year.

Inside they found three computers, storage media and smart phones which he accepted contained indecent images of children.

Claire Marlow, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court, that he told police when arrested: "I want to make it clear I have not touched any child."

But among the hundreds of vile images of child abuse officers found pictures which he had taken.

The computers also showed he had been searching for similar material online by putting certain terms into search engines.

And when he was called back to the police station for a second interview his phone was searched and it was found he had again been looking at images of child abuse.

Court, formerly of Stockwood Road but who gave the court a care of address in Oate Hill, Chippenham, admitted four counts of sexual assault and three of sexual activity with a child and eight of making, taking and possessing indecent images of children.

Tony Bignall, defending, said his client was aware he was facing a 'considerable custodial sentence'.

He said he knew what he was doing was wrong and in the past had tried to contact a charity to get help, but could not afford to go on the course they run.

"He is a man who has been living uncomfortably with this behaviour, though that doesn't appear to have stopped him," he said.

Jailing him, Recorder Peter Towler said: "What I also note is the contents of the pre-sentence report in which the author identifies his assessment that you are a high risk of serious harm to children, especially female children."

Imposing a 14-year jail term he told him because he has found him a dangerous offender he would serve two thirds of that behind bars.

On his released he would be under the supervision of the probation service on licence for an extra five years and must register as a sex offender for life.