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A paedophile who was previously jailed for having the UK's worst collection of child sex abuse images was caught again but avoided jail after arguing he would lose his place at a top university.

Six years ago Barry Shaw was jailed for two years after he fantasised about kidnapping toddler Madeleine McCann and downloaded thousands of horrific pictures.

Now the former Civil Service accountant, who has a 'dependency on pornography', has dodged jail after he was again found with child porn on his laptop.

In court his lawyer claimed if he was jailed, the 38-year-old would lose his spot at a university he has enrolled at - as well as his student accommodation.

In 2012 Shaw was jailed at Belfast Crown Court, Northern Ireland, after investigators searching his laptop uncovered the largest collection of child porn images from the most extreme category ever.

(Image: Solent News & Photo Agency)

Shaw has now moved to Southampton, Hampshire, and was caught by officers again who discovered he downloaded an image of a teenage girl, dressed in stockings and underwear before moving it to the recycle bin of his laptop.

He was convicted at Southampton Crown Court after admitting one count of making an indecent photograph of a child.

It was argued if 'porn addict' Shaw was jailed he would be kicked out of the University of Southampton.

Eve Shelley, defending, said Shaw - who is originally from Belfast and moved to Southampton after becoming estranged from his family - would also lose his student accommodation.

Ms Shelley said: "There's clearly a deep rooted issue [with his] dependency to pornography.

"He moved to Southampton from Ireland having been estranged from his family.

"He was failing in his studies, that led him to have an increase in his low mood and an increase in his stress.

"The way he dealt with that was to access pornography.

"If he was to be sent to custody today there will come a time in the future when he is released.

"But he will not be in education, he will not have university accommodation, he will not be in contact with the probation."

(Image: Solent News & Photo Agency)

The University of Southampton, which is part of the Russell Group, refused to comment after the case and also refused to confirm what Shaw studies.

Rose Burns, prosecuting, said Shaw was arrested after a search at his property in July last year. At the time he was already serving a 24 month community order for breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Ms Burns said of the search: "He had his Samsung laptop and iPhone examined.

"This has taken some time, however when it was examined the laptop contained one category C image of a girl dressed in stockings, posing for the camera.

"It was created on May 27, 2017. It was located in downloads, before is was moved to the recycling bin.

"There were no other images located on other devices.

"On January 29, 2018, he made full admission to the offence. He said: 'I could have viewed the image.

"'Because of my addiction to pornography, there is every possibility I would have downloaded the image'."

Judge Gary Burrell QC gave Shaw a 24 month community order and ordered him to carry out 15 days of rehabilitation requirements.

Judge Burrell QC said Shaw is 'addicted to porn and has been for a while'.

He added: "The worrying thing is it seems you have a sexual interest in children. That is worrying for the community and those who are close to you.

"Here you are again, with a picture of a little girl dressed up in a bikini or underwear that is of course illegal.

"If you continue to behave like that or access those images you are going to destroy yourself.

"At the moment fortunately for you there are a number of factors which are in your favour. You seem to understand you are putting your situation at risk if you continue to act in this way."

Shaw was jailed in 2012 after he admitted 24 charges of making indecent images of children and a further four of distributing indecent images between February 2006 and August 2009.

The charges covered a total of 4,630 images, which included 28 films and nearly 1,000 images of the most extreme category.

The horrific images showed disturbing acts between adults and children as well as bestiality and sadomasochism.

At the time it was the largest amount of images from the most severe category ever uncovered by investigators.