A sex offender who self-identifies as a 12-year-old boy was caught with child abuse images on his phone.

Max Wilkes is severely autistic and has become mute and unable to speak for the past three months.

He had to write his pleas on a piece of paper for a support worker to read out when he appeared at Exeter Crown Court.

Wilkes, aged 30, of Fore Street, Chudleigh, admitted two breaches of a sexual harm prevention order and one count of making indecent images of children by downloading them onto his phone.

He was found with two category B images which had been saved on his phone between July 1 and 17 this year. Category B is describes as depicting non penetrative sexual activity.

The sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) was imposed at Exeter Crown Court in December 2019 and controls Wilkes’s online activity while allowing police to monitor his devices.

He admitted breaking the order in two different ways, the first being by having four devices capable of accessing the internet and the other being by setting up an internet account in a name other than his own.

Judge Peter Johnson adjourned his case until October to enable the police to clarify if any further charges are to follow a fuller examination of his devices.

Miss Rebecca Wood, defending, said Wilkes has been mute since May and is currently unable to speak. He is working with adult social services to access the care he needs for his autism.

She said a psychological examination was carried out recently for social services and said his case is a complex one. He self-identifies as a 12-year-old boy named Oscar Green.

Mr Nigel Wraith, prosecuting, said two images had been found in an examination of his phone and are thought to be the only illegal material on it.

A tablet device is still being examined and a decision has yet to be taken about whether to prosecute over allegations of sexual communications with a child.