A PAEDOPHILE has been sentenced to 31 months in jail after he was caught covertly recording a young woman undressed and having sex.

Andrew Henderson, 52, was sentenced at Dumbarton Sheriff Court on Friday after pleading guilty last month to recording the girl within her bedroom without her knowledge or consent.

The offences were committed at addresses in Garelochhead and Helensburgh between January 2012 and June 2014.

Henderson had also admitted taking or making indecent images of children being abused or exploited, and being in possession of pornographic images.

Those offences were committed at his home in Feorlin Way, Garelochhead, between March 2008 and December 2017.

The same court previously heard that 4,004 indecent images had been found on computer equipment seized at Henderson’s home in December.

Defence lawyer Tom Brown told Friday’s hearing: "A custodial sentence is inevitable and he has always been aware of that.

“He accepts his position but has shown some remorse. He has been very candid with both the psychiatrist and social worker compiling the reports.

“He has made it clear to me that he will take all the help and assistance given to him in prison."

Sheriff Simon Pender, after considering a full social background report on Henderson, including an assessment of the danger he poses to young children, told him: "This was a serious course of conduct of offending at all categories. In the light of the gravity of these offences only a custodial sentence is appropriate.

"You have also been graded as a moderate to high risk of re-offending.

"Reading the risk assessment, I must put in place a sentence to protect the public from you."

Henderson was also put on a four year extended sentence when he is released on licence, the terms of which will be determined by Scottish ministers.

He was put on the sex offenders' register for an indefinite period.