A pervert spied on teenagers as they changed clothes in a cubicle in Huddersfield Leisure Centre.

Three girls spotted Michael Simpson, of Milnsbridge, peeking under their cubicle in the leisure centre in Springwood one evening in September 2017.

The 27-year-old had followed the victims, aged between 12 and 14, from the communal showers where he had asked to use their shampoo.

Police found more than 100 images of child sexual abuse when they later raided his home.

Leeds Crown Court heard one of their mothers had already reported him to the leisure centre over safeguarding concerns a few months prior to the incident.

Prosecutor Kirsten Mercer said Simpson stood next to the girls in the communal shower area after taking an adult swimming class.

Miss Mercer said other showers were free at the time and the girls felt uncomfortable.

Simpson looked at the victims' bottoms and asked if he could borrow some shampoo.

They left to get dressed in a cubicle next to an occupied one and Simpson entered the cubicle next to that.

When the occupied cubicle became free, he entered it and got on his hands and knees.

The court heard the victims saw him looking up at them for around 20 seconds.

One of the girls tried to take a photo of him on her mobile phone but only managed to capture his hands and his blue towel in the image.

Simpson was walking up and down in front of the lockers when the girls left.

One of the victim's mothers informed police and CCTV footage was recovered showing him entering the cubicle next to the victims'.

The defendant was stopped by staff when he went back to the leisure centre the following month.

Police went to his home to arrest him and seized two laptops and two mobile phones.

More than 100 images of child sex abuse were found in an email.

Thirty-six images were in category A - the most serious category. Nine images were in category B and 82 images were in category C.

He was found to have searched for child sex abuse images and for work with children, including becoming a childminder and volunteering opportunities involving young children.

Simpson made no comment in his police interviews.

His father acted as an appropriate adult during the interviews but it was not said why this was necessary in open court.

In a victim personal statement, one of the girls said she no longer feels comfortable using communal changing areas.

Simpson, of Britannia Road, Milnsbridge, pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism and three counts of making indecent images of children.

He has no previous convictions.

His barrister Samreen Akhtar said all the mitigation she had to offer was included in the probation service's pre-sentence report that the judge had already read. It was not read out in open court.

Simpson was handed a two-year community order and ordered to complete a 35-day Horizon programme course and a 30-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

He was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for five years and made subject to a sexual harm prevention order, banning him from contacting the victims directly or indirectly or attending the leisure centre.