A convicted sex offender from Llandrindod Wells has admitted making indecent images of children after police found an unregistered laptop hidden beneath his kitchen counter.

Joey Morgan, 53, of Ithon Road, appeared at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on July 11, where he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, breaching his Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and a theft charge.

Morgan is subject to indefinite notification requirements and an SHPO after being convicted in 2019 of making indecent images of children.

He was further convicted in 2021 for breaching court orders and possessing indecent images of children while living in the Gwent area.

Police said plain-clothes officers saw Morgan using a black Acer laptop at a Llandrindod hotel on July 6.

The device had not been registered with police, despite the conditions of his SHPO requiring him to notify officers within three days of buying any device capable of accessing the internet or storing data.

When the laptop remained unregistered, Morgan was arrested in Llandrindod Wells on suspicion of breaching the order on July 9.

A search of his home in Llandrindod was then carried out by detectives, search officers and a specialist digital detection dog from South Wales Police.

The dog found the laptop hidden underneath a kitchen counter, concealed behind a removable wooden plinth.

Officers also discovered an SD card hidden under a hallway carpet and a handheld games console tucked away in a communal mailbox area.

None of the devices had been registered with police.

Digital examination of the SD card found hundreds of indecent images, including Category B and C material.

Morgan also admitted stealing the games console during a police interview.

He was charged with two counts of breaching his SHPO, two counts of making indecent images of children and one count of theft.

Morgan was remanded into custody and will appear at Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates’ Court on August 7 for sentencing.

Detective Inspector Anthea Ponting, of Dyfed-Powys Police’s Offender Management Unit, said: “There is no doubt that Joey Morgan is a dangerous individual who does not abide by the orders issued by the court and the requirements placed on him.

“I am grateful to the team of specialist units that worked together to bring Morgan back before the courts to sentence him for his offending. We await the result.”