Child sex offender jailed

A child sex offender who went on to "systematically groom" three teenage schoolboys has been jailed for three years.

Carlisle Crown Court heard today how, over a period of eight months last year, 63-year-old James McGill from Lazonby near Penrith, befriended the boys, showering them with gifts and offering invites to attend his home.

More than a decade earlier, in October, 2007, McGill had been jailed for seven years by a judge at Preston Crown Court for serious sexual assaults on boys against under 16.

It was also ordered that he should be made subject to an indefinite sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) which banned him both from having unsupervised contact with children aged under 16 and allowing any youngsters to be in his home.

The court heard today how McGill was later given an extra, 18-month prison term after breaching the strict terms of that order, and also told he must ensure that approved monitoring software was installed on any internet accessible devices in his possession.

But his further offending came to light as parents of the three boys found out about his persistent illegal approaches during 2018.

And McGill was sentenced today after he admitted 16 further breaches of the SOPO - 14 covering his unsupervised contact with the boys, and two reflecting his possession of devices without monitoring software fitted.

He was jailed for three years by Judge Peter Davies, who said of the schoolboys: "They were systematically groomed by you - there is no other way of putting it."

Judge Davies added: "Despite the substantial amount of custody you have served, you still persist with having a latent and patent sexual interest in boys."