A Douglas man who was jailed in 2017 for having more than 900,000 indecent images of children has been back in court.

Martin Andrew Cleator appeared before magistrates on Thursday, January 2, pleading guilty to breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.

The 52-year-old IT worker has admitted having more devices in his possession than the order stipulates he may have.

The breach was committed on November 27.

Cleator’s case has been adjourned until February 27, while a probation report is prepared.

In May 2017, Cleator was jailed for two years after admitting possessing 908,048 indecent images of children and distributing 54 indecent child images.

That was the largest cache UK police taskforce Titan - where they had been sent for analysis - had ever seen.

He was also made the subject of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order indefinitely, which meant that he must make any electronic device available to police for inspection and put on the Sex Offenders’ Register for seven years.

In September 2019, while still on licence, Cleator was jailed again, this time for 15 months, after police found around 8,000 more indecent images of children on devices at his home.

During his latest court appearance, prosecuting advocate Sara-Jayne Dodge submitted that the current breach was suitable to be sentenced in summary court.

Defence advocate Stephen Wood agreed that the case should remain in the lower court but said that there were still some issues to resolve which may affect sentencing.

The advocate said that two devices found were boxed up and, in a garage, and one didn’t have a hard drive.

Mr Wood asked for a probation report to be prepared before sentencing.

Magistrates accepted summary court jurisdiction and adjourned the case until February 27.

No bail application was made and Cleator, who lives at Ballaquark, is remanded at the Isle of Man Prison.