A paedophile downloaded a manual on how to sexually abuse babies and accessed nearly 6,000 indecent images of children online.

Arif Azad, 21, of Newham, has been jailed after police first began to investigate the man in March 2023.

It was found that out of the nearly 6,000 indecent images, 3,500 of them were found to be in the most extreme category.

And a number of the images had been sent to him by an unknown child who he was communicating with online.

Azad pleaded guilty on October 25, 2023 at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

On April 19 this year, he was sentenced at the same court to four years’ imprisonment – two for making, distributing and possessing indecent images, and another two for engaging in sexual communication with a child.

He is also subject to Sex Offender Notification Requirements for life and a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years.

PC Ella Rose, one of the Met’s Safeguarding officers, said: “Although there was no evidence that Azad had met with a child while committing these offences, he is undoubtedly a paedophile whose behaviour was becoming increasingly concerning.

“He was brought to justice thanks to the dedication of officers from the Online Child Sexual Abuse Exploitation Team. Their investigation was complex and difficult, and there will have been a personal cost for the officers involved in gathering such a large volume of disturbing evidence in order to ensure that Azad was made to answer for his crimes.”