Description
Jack Hall, whose real name is David Chadwick, befriended the girl's family who had no idea he was a convicted sex offender with a shocking history of offences dating back more than 30 years.
A paedophile has been jailed for breaching a sexual offences order after boasting he 'played a family like a game of chess.'
Jack Hall, 62 - whose real name is David Chadwick - befriended the mother of a six-year-old girl and tricked her for months.
Portsmouth Crown Court heard that the paedophile, from Gosport, Hampshire, bought the girl a book and sweets as he integrated himself with her family.
Later, Hall took the girl to a shop alone and played "inappropriately" with her as she rolled across his chest on the ground in a field before he disappeared into bushes for between five and 10 minutes.
The court heard that Hall quickly became a 'close family friend' but the unsuspecting mother had no idea he was a convicted sex offender with a shocking history of offences dating back more than 30 years.
Hall has been repeatedly jailed in Britain, the Netherlands, is suspected to have abused a child in New Zealand - and sparked an international manhunt while on the run from police.
He targeted his latest victims just months after being released from a seven-year jail term in January this year, despite a sexual harm prevention order banning him from unsupervised access to children.
Hall described the girl as a 'ray of sunshine' and even grinned in the dock when he discovered pupils on a school visit were due to observe his trial.
He even boasted of playing the family like a game of chess.
Hall said: "I likened it to a game of chess. I'm not particularly going out of my way to court a friendship with (the couple).
"I enjoyed their company. I'm very saddened by the way this has turned out."
Jurors took just two hours and 27 minutes to convict Hall of breaching a sexual harm prevention order, which he denied, and he was jailed for four years and six months.
Prosecutor Sally Mertens said his method sees him 'befriend children of families' he finds.
Jailing him, Judge William Ashworth said: "The natural boundaries of a child had been eroded, and her parents had been eroded, by you in a very short space of time.
"With your history and having seen you give evidence... I'm in no doubt that your intention was to break down the barriers between you and (the girl) and her family so that you could sexually abuse her."
Speaking after Hall was convicted, the girl's mother said: "In chess you play eight or nine moves in front. It's all about attack and he's the leader going to attack his goal. We were pawns in his game."
She was pleased Hall was given a 'strong sentence' but expressed some concerns.
She added: "In reality he is going to be out in half, in two years time, that's what worries me."
Hall, who is not thought to have physically abused the girl, shook his head as he was jailed and must also sign the sex offenders' register for life.
Hall committed his first horrific crime in 1985 and in 2011 he was convicted of indecent assault for breaking into a boarding school in 1991 and attacking three boys.
In 2013, he was convicted of indecent assault on a boy under 14 and gross indecency of another teenage boy under 14.
He sparked a huge manhunt in February 2016 after breaching conditions of his prison release and police have previously had to warn Irish police about intelligence which suggested he was planning on travelling to the country.