Paedophile who filmed his attacks may face life in jail

Judge John Potter told Aaron Sharp he would have to spend a minimum of three years in jail before his case could be assessed by the Parole Board, but he warned him that he could be kept behind bars for the rest of his life.

It emerged yesterday that Sharp, 30, had worked at a children's playgroup in the past but he said he quit the job after realising that he was looking at girls aged six and seven.

Sharp, of Westminster Terrace, Bradford, pleaded guilty earlier this year to 17 offences which included two charges of sexual activity with a child, three of sexual assault on a child under 13, one of assault on a child by penetration, five of taking an indecent photo of a child, five of taking an indecent film of a child and one of possessing more than 600 indecent photos of children.

Those offences covered a three-year period but it later emerged that Sharp had also taken indecent pictures of two other girls back in 2005.

He asked for 10 further offences of taking indecent images of children to be taken into consideration when he was sentenced yesterday at Bradford Crown Court.

Sharp's victims, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were all aged under 10 and one was still a toddler.

Jailing Sharp indefinitely for public protection Judge Potter said his escalating offending over a five-year period had involved a degree of planning and targeting of his victims.

"This evil, depraved and degrading behaviour will, I have little doubt, have left significant psychological scars on your victims," the judge told Sharp.

Bradford Crown Court heard his collection of movies and indecent images came to light by chance after people sharing his home asked to use his computer.

When he was questioned by police he told them he wanted to stop but had not.

Judge Potter described one of the movies involving the toddler as being almost akin to attempted rape.

He said: "At one point one of your victims can be seen and heard to be clearly in distress."

Sharp was also made the subject of an indefinite sexual offences prevention order which restricts his contact with youngsters.

He will also have to register as a sex offender with the police for the rest of his life.