A DEPRAVED pervert who filmed young boys using toilets at Tesco and Thorpe Park was caught with the largest haul of indecent images Thames Valley Police had ever seen.

Paedophile Linus Rickett also used Instagram to groom a number of his victims, all young boys aged between nine and 13, to engage in sex acts online.

One of his victims was made to perform a sick act involving a pencil and lick a toilet seat.

Read again: Former Oxfordshire police officer drove 50 miles to meet child for sex

At Oxford Crown Court this week, the 20-year old of The Holt, Abingdon, admitted a total of 15 counts relating to inciting children to engage in sexual activity, making indecent images of children and voyeurism.

At his sentencing there on Wednesday, prosecutor Laura Blackband said that after his arrest Thames Valley Police found the largest haul of indecent images of children the police force had ever seen.

Oxford Mail:

Detailing his offending, she said that Rickett, who was a film maker, used the persona of a fictional young girl called ‘Millie’ to groom his child victims.

On Instagram he befriended numerous boys, some as young as nine, and asked them to perform sex acts.

Read again: Man obsessed with child took 1,000 naked pictures of her

In one instance detailed to the court a boy asked to lick a toilet seat and perform other acts, unaware that Rickett, a man nearing his 20s, was the receiver of the images.

Th cases were reported to police and Rickett was arrested and released before he went on to get a job at the Tesco superstore in Cowley in August last year.

Oxford Mail:

Tesco Cowley superstore. Picture: Google Maps

It was while he was working there that he carried out further depraved acts and offences of voyeurism, in which he filmed young boys using the toilet.

In October, he again filmed boys in a toilet, this time at Thorpe Park, where he was arrested.

Read again: 'Dangerous' paedophile tells judge his sentence is a 'f***ing joke'

Victim personal statements read to the court from some of the boys’ parents who were filmed called Rickett’s offending ‘cruel, sly and sneaky behaviour’.

One questioned how he was able to visit a packed amusement park after his arrest for the original offences on Instagram.

Oxford Mail:

Thorpe Park main entrance. Picture: Phillip Perry/ Wikimedia Commons

After his arrest, a number of his electronic devices were analysed and a huge stash of sick images of child abuse was found.

In all, Rickett had 189 images in the most serious category – A; 1,016 in category B and 3,745 in category C.

In mitigation at the hearing his defence barrister Michael Phillip said that Rickett had emotional problems relating to his mental health and was remorseful.

Read again: Woman posted revenge porn pics of woman on Snapchat

Sentencing, Judge Nigel Daly ordered that Rickett be jailed for a total of five years with an additional three years of extended licence.

He must also sign the sex offenders register for life.

Following the sentencing, Thames Valley Police released a list of tips for parents to protect children, including 'following' them on social networks to monitor their interactions.