A CONVICTED sex offender failed to notify police he was spending nights at his girlfriend's home at a time when her teenage daughter was also present.

 

Blackburn magistrates heard the girl's mother did not know of Jason Thomas' past when she invited him into her home.

 

And she told police she did not know if he had ever been alone with her daughter.

 

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Thomas, 46, of Shear Brow, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to three offences of failing to comply with notification requirements by not telling police when he had spent more than 12 hours at an address where a person under 18 was resident.

 

He was committed in custody to Preston Crown Court to be sentenced.

 

Alex Mann, prosecuting, said Thomas was made subject to an indefinite notification order following a conviction for indecently assaulting a female child.

 

"He has to tell the police if he has stayed at another address for over 12 hours," said Mrs Mann. "He formed a relationship with the lady involved and she says he stayed at her house on three occasions.

 

"The order is not to protect this woman it is to protect children and unfortunately her teenage daughter was present at the address."

 

Miss Mann said when police carried out a compliance visit Thomas denied he was seeing anyone but he was in fact seeing two people.

 

When officers checked his phone they discovered messages which made it clear he was in a relationship.

 

"She told police he had never revealed his previous convictions to her," said Mrs Mann.

 

Mark Williams, defending, said his client had stayed over on three occasions but said the daughter was only there on one.

 

"His past had not been disclosed to her and when she found out she was shocked and he accepts that," said Mr Williams. "The breach is not the relationship or that he stayed over at the property but that he didn't tell the police about it."