A CONVICTED sex offender has been sent to prison by magistrates for 12 weeks for failing to notify the police of his whereabouts in Skipton.

Shafaq Hussain, 29, formerly of the town, was in breach of two notification requirements of the sexual offenders register, Skipton Magistrates Court heard.

He failed to notify police within three days of the address in Skipton where he was staying temporarily after being released from prison on June 2, and he also stayed there for more than 12 hours when there were children in he house under the age of 18.

The court heard Hussain had been sentenced at Bradford Crown Court in June, 2009 to 18 months – later reduced to 16 – for six sexual offences with an underage girl. He was living and working in Skipton at the time, and the offences took place in the town.

He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for ten years which included notifying the police where he was living and having no unsupervised conduct with underage children.

Hussain had four earlier breaches, and in the spring of last year, a 12 month suspended sentence had been activated, the court was told.

Hussain, now of Midland Terrace, Keighley, who admitted both breaches, which took place between June 2 and June 11, was sentenced for 12 weeks for each, to run concurrently.

In mitigation, Nicholas Leadbeater, said while Hussain had been in prison he had asked his probation officer to put a condition on his release that he be placed in a hostel, but it had not happened.

On his release, he had persuaded a close relative to put him up temporarily while he found a permanent address.

Mr Leadbeater said Hussain's relative had put pressure on him every day to find an alternative address, not because she was in fear of her children, but because she thought he would bring the authorities to her door.

He added Hussain had found accommodation in Keighley with the help of his uncle, and had immediately told the police.

Magistrates told Hussain, now of Midland Terrace, Keighley, his sentence had been reduced from 18 weeks because of his early guilty plea. He will also have to pay a surcharge of £115.