A security guard accused of plotting to kidnap, rape and murder television presenter Holly Willoughby was found with millions of pictures of celebrities, a court has heard.

Gavin Plumb, 37, was arrested on 4 October last year after he outlined his alleged plans to an undercover US police officer.

Essex Police Detective Constable Will Belsham told Chelmsford Crown Court there was so much material on Gavin Plumb’s mobile phone and other devices that officers could only look at about 10% of it.

It included so many images of Willoughby, 43, and other celebrities that investigators had to operate a filtering process.

Prosecutor Alison Morgan KC said: “We are talking about so many images you can’t look at every single one of them.”

“Yes, they were in the millions,” said DC Belsham.

He said officers also found more than 1,000 pages of internet history, including a Google search for: “How to meet people who kidnap celebrities?”

Plumb, from Harlow in Essex, denies charges of soliciting murder, incitement to kidnap and incitement to rape between December 2021 and October last year.

The jury has previously heard he was “obsessed” with Willoughby and allegedly hatched “graphic” and “sexually motivated” plans to abduct, repeatedly rape and kill her.

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The court has heard he has previous convictions for trying to abduct two women on trains and for using a knife to falsely imprison two 16-year-old girls – including one whose hands he tied behind her back.

Plumb allegedly tried to recruit others online to help him carry out his plan to attack Willoughby at her home.

His discussions included using chloroform to stupefy her and her husband, the television producer Dan Baldwin, before tying them up, abducting her and slitting her throat, the court has heard.

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Willoughby, who is not attending the trial, has waived her automatic right to anonymity, to which all alleged victims of sexual offences or related charges are entitled.

She announced in October last year that she was stepping down from This Morning after 14 years on the ITV show, but has since hosted Dancing On Ice 2024, and is also due to present a Netflix show.

The trial continues.

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