A Leytonstone paedophile who stored more than 12,500 indecent images of children has been jailed.

Dean Gordon, 41, covertly recorded women and children for his own sexual gratification and admitted to sexually assaulting a young girl, police said.

Officers from the Online Child Sex Abuse and Exploitation Team (OCSAE) executed a search warrant at Gordon's home address in August 2021.

Numerous devices were seized which contained videos of children being covertly recorded naked.

After Gordon was arrested, numerous covert camera devices were found, including a water bottle with a hidden camera.

A number of child and adult female victims, who were all known to Gordon, were located who had no idea they had been secretly recorded by him.

Gordon, of Rosewood Court, befriended families with young female children and then covertly recorded the children naked or semi-naked, according to the Met.

Gordon had 12,529 indecent images of children, including more than 2,000 of the most serious Category A images.

In one case, he sexually abused a young girl whilst she lay asleep and recorded himself abusing her.

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Gordon pleaded guilty in August 2022 to three counts of making and ten counts of taking indecent photographs of children, six counts of voyeurism, possession of extreme pornographic images and possession of a prohibited image of a child.

He was sentenced to six years and eight months' imprisonment at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, January 16.

Det Con James Cronin of the OCSAE team: "This has been a complex investigation involving specialist officers undertaking countless hours of work to uncover his wrongdoing and locate and assist victims of his abuse.

"The victims, especially the children, have shown incredible bravery by coming forward and sharing their story.

"Anyone who believes they have been a victim of child abuse should contact police on 101 and, as this case demonstrates, we will carry out a thorough investigation and bring perpetrators to justice."