A COUPLE who allowed a 20-year-old man to stay at their house did not know he was on the sex offenders register as a result of a child sex offence.

Blackburn magistrates heard the couple had a one-year-old son and it was a specific condition of the registration requirements that Michael Buck did not spend 12 hours at an address where a child was present without notifying the police.

Buck, of Troon Avenue, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements. He was remanded on bail until December 27 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Buck had been cautioned in 2016 for sexual activity with a child and put on the sex offenders register. In July of this year he was evicted from an address in Darwen and had been spending up to three nights a week at the couple’s house.

“They did not know he was a registered sex offender until the police came to the house,” said Miss Allan.