A SEX offender was dubbed “a predator” by a judge after his latest breach of a restrictive order aimed at preventing him having contact with children.

Simon Evans, 46, was jailed for three years by a judge at Durham Crown Court following a complaint by a woman over his “inappropriate” behaviour towards her eight-year-old daughter at a charity disco at which he was the disc jockey.

The court heard that Evans was jailed for four years for five sexual offences involving a child in 1992, and, after further concerns were raised, he was made subject of “quite onerous” conditions, under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (Sopo), imposed by magistrates in Hartlepool, in June 2010.

But he has twice breached that order, serving custodial sentences as a result, imposed at Durham and Teesside crown courts, in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

Peter Sabiston, prosecuting, said the terms of the 2010 Sopo forbade the defendant having unsupervised association or contact with anyone under the age of 18.

The latest breach took place at a charity fun day and disco, where Evans was performing the DJ duties, last July.

Mr Sabiston said Evans approached the eight-year-old girl on at least four or five occasions, “with increasing degrees of inappropriateness”.

Having told the girl to behave, as she was playfully throwing paper round, he approached her again and told her mother: “She’s a little nightmare. How do you cope with her?”

Evans placed his hands on the girl’s shoulders, as if telling her off, but the final time placed her arms across her chest.

Mr Sabiston said the girl’s mother had no knowledge of Evans’ background, but was “disturbed” by his apparent friendliness, and told him not to touch her daughter.

Following complaints to police, he was later arrested and interviewed, when the terms of the order were repeated to him.

He told police he had worked at a charity shop with his ex-partner and accompanied her to the event last July, but claimed he had not been the DJ and just stood behind the disco equipment.

When asked about the girl, he denied touching her, or even approaching her, claiming he remained behind a steel fence, separating him from all those attending the event.

Evans even accused the police and witnesses of collusion, added Mr Sabiston.

Although the defendant, of Londonderry Road, Stockton, denied breaching the order, he was convicted following a trial at Teesside Crown Court, in April.

Julian Gaskin, mitigating, told Friday’s sentencing hearing, that since his conviction, Evans has remained in custody.

Mr Gaskin said after his original conviction in 1992 Evans worked with the NSPCC to prevent further offending, and is now prepared to work with the charity, or any other agency, to ensure he can just lead a “normal life” in future.

“He’s subject of draconian rules and, in trying to lead a normal life, he’s finding it difficult, with all those restraints.”

But, Judge Simon Hickey told Evans: “You deliberately flouted that court order by putting yourself in the way of young children.

“This is, now, a deliberate multiple flouting of that order.

“You claim you are willing to engage with agencies. I doubt you are.

“You are a predator in my judgement. They are very worrying facts here.”

Jailing him, Judge Hickey said Evans will remain subject to notification regulations, as a sex offender, “indefinitely.”