A paedophile who hid conversations with underage teenagers in a secret vault on his phone was described as “amongst the most dangerous people” a prison officer had dealt with.

Judge Simon Carr said it was only the second time in his 14-year career as a judge that he had been contacted by prison staff with a warning about the defendant before him.

Jason Barnes was back again before the court, having already been imprisoned for breaching a suspended sentence imposed in October 2016 for making indecent images of children. He committed similar offences less than a year later.

In May 2019 he served 18 months, after admitting to police he had been "at it again".

However, Truro Crown Court heard that this time it had escalated to sexualised conversations in chat rooms, including with a 14-year-old boy and at least two aged 15.

He pleaded guilty to a number of charges including possession, making and distributing indecent images of children, attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child, engaging in sexual communications with a child and inciting a boy to engage in sexual activity.

Prosecutor Heather Hope explained that under the conditions of his previous sentence 33-year-old Barnes was under regular monitoring from police, including inspection of his mobile phone.

On November 25, 2021 it was discovered that Barnes had been looking for child pornography.

When questioned, Barnes was said to reply: “The guys in those types of videos are hotter than those in regular porn.”

The following month, police were contacted by the National Crime Agency to say Barnes’ IP address was being used to upload indecent images of children, in September 2021 and again in November.

Barnes, of Heamoor, Penzance, told police he had been sent a link to the images.

READ NEXT: Mum-of-eight made up false rape claim to get attention of straying partner

Forensic inspection of the phone found that he had downloaded Snapchat, Dropbox and another app, all of which were hidden so as not to be seen on initial inspection.

An “encrypted vault” was then found on his phone “hidden between multiple layers”, which required either Barnes’s fingerprint or a PIN to open.

He declined to provide these and it was not until new technology became available that police were finally able to access what was within the vault, last year.

Inside they found various conversations that Barnes had in chatrooms – which included a number of prohibited and indecent images.

They included 77 still and one moving image of the most severe category, 85 still and one moving image in the medium category and 137 still images of the lowest category of severity.

Ms Hope said Barnes would edit the profile names of those he spoke to, to reflect their age and other features, so he could identify them later.

One user, who said he was 15, sent Barnes a picture of a teenage boy in a school uniform, and others of naked genitals and committing sexual acts.

Police were unable to identify this user, but were able to identify another 15-year-old boy who in interview said he eventually had to block Barnes, as well as a third 15-year-old and one who was 14, who he had spoken to “in a heavily sexualised way.”

In mitigation, Ramsay Quaife said Barnes now had a different attitude to when he was last before the court and “The hope is the right treatment can be identified and then given to this man.”

Judge Simon Carr said Barnes had made “extensive efforts to speak to children in chat rooms,” before going on to “categorise them with your own code.”

He said: “There is a very significant risk that you will escalate to contact offences in the near future.”

READ NEXT: Ex Penryn pub landlords drove with man on bonnet and wielded pole: sentence

Judge Carr said he had been contacted, on their own volition, by the prison officer who had managed Barnes previously to say he was “amongst the most dangerous people they had dealt with.”

A more conventional report from the probation service confirmed a “great risk to others.”

He sentenced Barnes to an extended sentence of 13 years, made up of seven years in prison and then a further six years on extended licence.

Barnes must serve at least two thirds of the prison sentence behind bars before being considered for parole, but was warned: “It may well be you will serve the total of that seven years.”

He will be on the Sex Offenders Register for life and will also be subject to a sexual harm prevention order for 15 years.