A CHILD molester, labelled a continuing risk to youngsters by top medics, is behind bars for four years - and won't be 'free' for several years after that.

Darren Roberts, 29, who lured a frightened 10-year-old girl back to his Nelson home, where he sexually assaulted her, was given what Judge David Pirie described as a longer than normal sentence and an extended licence period of three years.

The judge told Burnley Crown Court he had taken the steps to protect people from serious harm from Roberts. He said three professionals, including two consultant psychiatrists, considered the defendant a continuing risk to young children.

Roberts, of Maurice Street, Nelson, earlier admitted indecent assault in May. He was previously convicted of indecent assault in 1995 and will go on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

Dennis Watson, prosecuting, said on evening the victim did not return home and by 10pm her worried father went out looking for her and police were contacted. He began to make inquiries about a man in a baseball cap after receiving some information his daughter might be with him. At almost 10.45pm, quite by chance, the father spotted the girl with the defendant. His daughter was carrying a puppy.

A confrontation followed between the father and Roberts and as the man was leaving with his daughter, she told him what had happened. Mr Watson said the victim told police the defendant had lured her to his house. She said he had removed all her clothes except her T-shirt, stripped down to his T-shirt himself and made her lie on the settee. He had then got on top of her.

The girl, who had been frightened, tried to push him off and Roberts told her not to tell her mum and dad. The schoolgirl said she had been given the puppy to take to another house and on the way back she and Roberts had seen her father.

Mr Watson said when Roberts was interviewed, he said lots of children visited his house, and some of them even had keys.

Roger Baldwin, defending, said Roberts had had extremely difficult early years, living in various children's homes. He had suffered physical and emotional abuse, an "all too familiar picture" before the court.

He had been extremely depressed while in prison on remand, had a very low IQ and was immature. He would contest the doctors' view he was a danger to children and did not have an attraction for them.

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