Description
A paedophile who failed to tell police where he was staying claimed he was sleeping under a hedge and had no idea what day it was.
Paul Kemp was given a suspended jail sentence after offering to pay two teenage boys to take part in sexual activity in a McDonald’s branch.
He has now been locked up for not complying with the terms of that sentence.
Kemp was handed a nine month suspended sentence in November over his illicit approach to two 14-year-old boys.
Louise Santamera, prosecuting, said Kemp had admitted two counts of attempting to cause a boy to engage in sexual activity.
While he avoided an immediate jail term, his freedom was subject to him abiding by a series of conditions.
He was placed on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years and, as a result, Kemp had to regularly update police of his whereabouts.
Liverpool Crown Court heard he did so twice and said he was homeless and had no mobile phone - but suggested the Adelphi Hotel could be a point of contact.
However, later checks with the hotel revealed he had not stayed there for several weeks and he failed to attend St Anne Street police station on November 29 and failed to attend for probation supervision.
He was located on December 3 at the Mercure Hotel in Little Sutton, Ellesmere Port and was arrested.
When interviewed he said he had returned to that area where he had grown up and had been sleeping under a hedge.
The 64-year-old claimed a religious couple found him and paid for him to stay the night at the hotel.
Miss Santamera said: "He admitted he failed to comply with the requirements and said it was due to his mental health problems and did not know what day it was… The prosecution say it was a deliberate failure to comply.
"He undoubtedly knew he was expected to go to St Anne Street or any police station."
The court heard Kemp had five previous sexual convictions include two indecency offences when he was in the Army in 1977 for which he received 84 days detention and was discharged from the forces.
He was also convicted in 2012 for sexually assaulting a boy.
Bernice Campbell, defending, said Kemp had been on remand for the sex offences last year and after being freed he ended up in a hospital for two days, had no contact details for probation and unsuccessfully asked the police for help to contact them.
Kemp said he had thousands of pounds in his bank account but he had difficulty obtaining hotel accommodation as he had no photographic identification. He claimed he left a hostel by the police station as screaming in the night exacerbated his mental health problems.
Ms Campbell pointed out that Kemp had twice reported to St Anne Street police station despite being homeless and having a chaotic lifestyle.
However, Recorder Ian Harris, QC, told Kemp: "Bluntly you have shunned opportunities given to you by the court and deliberately flouted notification requirements."
The judge said: "You hoped to melt back into the community and you no doubt continue to be a threat to young children.
"It was a deliberate failure to comply with the requirements….Your convictions show you are a predatory paedophile and a risk to children."
The judge added: "The author of the pre-sentence report says you cannot be managed in the community and you had deliberately evaded your responsibility. Your mental health did not impair your ability to make rational choices."
Recorder Harris activated seven months of the suspended sentence handed to Kemp in November and imposed a further five months for the breach, making a total of 12 months imprisonment.
Kemp, of no fixed address, had pleaded guilty to breaching requirements of the Sex Offenders Register and admitted being in breach of the nine month suspended prison sentence.