A PAEDOPHILE had his door broken down by police after an undercover officer feared for the safety of children.

Dean Dickens has been spared jail after was found with indecent images of children in a hidden folder on his phone.

The 43-year-old of Lorrimore Close, Billericay had been having conversations with online profiles in the lead up to the police raid being carried out on his home on August 18 last year.

Basildon Crown Court heard that one of the users was an undercover officer, who raised the alarm.

Prosecuting, Paul Valder said: “From December 8, 2019 he had been in conversation with an undercover officer.

“No offences were disclosed but conversations gave raise to concern.

“During the search his mobile phone was seized and in due course the was examined and 11 indecent images of category C were found.

“They were on display in photos in a file marked ‘hidden’. The girls were aged 13 to 16.

“He was interviewed about ownership and use of the phone. When challenged about the images he said no comment.”

Mr Valder said Dickens had previous convictions for benefit fraud.

Mitigating, Sasha Bailey asked the recorder to consider a suspended sentence for Dickens and that he would work well with the Horizon programme.

Addressing Dickens, Recorder Sandeep Kainth said: “There are no aggravating features whatsoever in this case.

“The sentence I am going to pass is a community order for two years, with 40 days of rehabilitation and the Horizon programme as well.

“Because of the offence in this court you will be on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.

“I also impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same period of five years.

“If there are difficulties with the sentence, you must speak to the supervision officer.

“Don’t bury your head in the sand, that will not help you one iota.

“If you don’t comply with the order, back to court you come and all bets are off.”