A CONVICTED paedophile has admitted to breaching the terms of his sexual offences prevention order by being in the same house as a 10-year-old girl.

Burnley Crown Court heard Jess Dean, 61, committed the offence because he was in the home of his former partner at the same time as her granddaughter.

That was because in 2005 he received a SOPO which prevented him from allowing anyone under the age of 17 to enter his dwelling and allowing anyone under the age of 17 remaining in his dwelling.

That was after he was convicted at Preston Crown Court of indecently assaulting a male child under the age of 14 and the sexual assault of a male child.

Prosecuting, Shirlie Duckworth said that Dean, of Clayton Close, Nelson, breached the order earlier this year at his former partner's property in Nelson.

Ms Duckworth said: "On June 13 officers were investigating matters which didn't concern this defendant directly but did involve his former partner and her granddaughter who is 10-years-of-age. Officers received information that the 10-year-old had been visiting the address which was shared by the defendant and his former partner.

"The defendant was interviewed by the police. He admitted the child had been returning to that address after school because the child's mother found the after school provision too expensive. The arrangement was the defendant was working and was out of the house between 8am and 6pm. Therefore he would not normally be present when the child was in the house. But on this occasion he was. The girl's mother was present and she left after a few minutes."

The court heard that Dean, who was convicted of gross indecency with a female child in 2001 for gross indecency with a female child, was jailed for 24 months in 2011 for previously breaching the SOPO.

Defending, Philip Holden said during the incident on June 13 his client had not been left alone with the child and there was no suggestion of anything untoward with her.

Mr Holden said: "He as an unenviable history. There is no doubt about that.

"The position is he was aware that the granddaughter was coming to the house at a time he was working. On this occasion she had come over but her mother was unable to pick her up at the usual time. There was this unplanned meeting which lasted a very short time. There is no complaint of any inappropriate behaviour.."

Judge Jonathan Gibson made Dean the subject of a two-year conditional discharge and ordered him to pay £200 prosecution costs. He also revoked the pervious sex offences prevention order and imposed an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, limiting his contact with anyone under the age of 16.