A WOMAN who invited a man she had met on a dating site to a barbecue, where he was talking to her children, later discovered he was a convicted child sex offender.

Blackburn magistrates heard Gary Thomas Sheridan was going under a different name but the woman became suspicious when she heard him called by his real name.

And when she searched it on the internet she discovered his sordid past.

Sheridan was sentenced to more than six years in jail in spring 2017 for having sex with a 13-year-old girl when he had been aged 27.

Sheridan, 33, of Church Street, Accrington, pleaded guilty to breaching a sexual harm prevention order by having contact with two boys under the age of 16 and four charges of failing to comply with requirements of the sex offender register. All the offences happened in Accrington between April 16 and May 16.

He was jailed for 42 weeks by District Judge Joanne Hirst who said she accepted he had concealed his true identity to avoid repercussions rather that acting in a predatory manner.

“I can only imagine the shock and distress of the mother when she found out about your past,” she added.

Ruby McKeague, prosecuting, said Sheridan had an account on the Kik application in the name GaryPrice87, an account on fabswingers in the name Gary P, on snapchat in the name Gary Price sesasider 1987 and used the name Venom on a live streaming app called Liveme.

None of the names or accounts had been registered with the police as he was required to do under the terms of the sex offender register.

He met the mother of the two children through one of the sites and she invited him to a barbecue.

He spoke to her two sons who were under 16 but their 20-year-old brother was with them at all times.

Gerry Coyle, defending, said as a result of the offence Sheridan had been recalled on prison licence and would be in prison until February 2023.