A SEX offender who attempted to touch two young girls whilst they were shopping in Tenby has been returned to prison after he breached the terms of the sex offender register.

Stephen James was jailed after he admitted sexually assaulting 11-year-old girl and a six-year-old girl in Tenby town centre on September 16.

James was accused of attempting to intimately touch and kiss the 11-year-old, as well as attempting to sexually touch the younger girl.

He was jailed for 13 months, was ordered to register as a sex offender for 10 years, was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order for the same period of time.

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However, 52-year-old James appeared back before Swansea Crown Court charged with breaching the notification requirements of the sex offender register.

Prosecutor Georgia Donohue told the court that James had been released on licence on April 3, and was moved to the Gwent area. However, he left and returned to Pembrokeshire, registering with Haverfordwest Police Station on May 31.  

“He told them he needed to sign on,” Ms Donohue said. “He told them he was of no fixed abode and would likely be living in a tent.”

James was told that, as he was homeless, he would have to return to re-register at a police station every seven days.

James failed to register with the police by June 7, and on June 12 was recalled to prison after he missed an appointment with the probation service.

A police appeal was issued on June 20, and the following day officers were told that James was living in the Tenby area.

Ms Donohue noted that the victims in James’ original case had been from the Tenby area.

James was arrested at around 10am near the Kiln Park Holiday Centre. He had been sleeping rough between there, the Lydstep coastal path and Tenby’s South Beach.

He told officers he was aware that he needed to register with the police, but “decided he wasn’t going to bother” and “had made a conscious decision to avoid the police”.

James, who had two previous convictions for four offences, pleaded guilty to breaching his notification requirements.

Matthew Murphy, in mitigation, said that James had initially complied with the requirements by registering at Haverfordwest Police Station upon his move back to Pembrokeshire.

However, he admitted it was “a deliberate act” to fail to re-register after that.

Mr Murphy stressed that, with James now in custody having being recalled to prison, it was necessary for him to complete the Horizon programme to prevent any future re-offending.

Judge Catherine Richards jailed James for eight months.