A PERVERT with sex convictions in several countries, and who was arrested in Colne, has promised a judge he won't offend again.

Peter Jones, 62, a former Christian Aid and UNICEF teacher, said he had "felt like a grandad" in jail and had now "got his head together."

Jones, who lives in Hulme, who had been in custody for eight months after he was accused of trying to abduct a schoolboy in Laneshawbridge was put on probation for 12 months and to receive treatment for sex offenders. He had been committed for sentence to Burnley Crown Court, after admitting indecent assault in April 1994. In January, Jones was cleared of the attempted abduction allegation.

Mark Lamberty, prosecuting, said Jones followed a 13-year-old boy into the toilets of a McDonalds restaurant and sexually assaulted him. The child was very frightened, told the defendant to get off him and ran out of the toilets. When Jones was arrested, he claimed the teenager had led him on.

Jones was arrested in Laneshawbridge last September. He had many previous convictions for sex offences, in different countries and had been in prison.

Roger Baldwin, defending, said Jones had been kept in custody in relation to the offence of which he was acquitted.

He had gone to work in Mexico after the indecent assault, teaching English for Christian Aid and UNICEF and had also lived in Chile, Argentine and Brazil. He returned to England in November 1997 and had not committed any offences for five years.

Mr Baldwin said with the passage of time, the defendant's "desires" were more under control than they were and he was not offending at the same rate.

Jones told Judge Ian Webster there was "no way" he would offend again after what he had "suffered" in jail. He was ashamed of his past behaviour and had now got his head together.

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