A PREDATORY sex offender, who breached restrictions placed on him by meeting a young girl for an intimate encounter, was today (Tuesday February 25) jailed for three-and-a-half years.

The illicit liaison with a 14-year-old girl, in a farm field off the A167 in County Durham, was Gary Steven Clifford’s third breach of a sexual offences prevention order (Sopo).

Durham Crown Court heard the girl’s disappearance from home in Ferryhill led to a search by her concerned family, on September 21 last year.

Sarah Mallett, prosecuting, said her brother drove past the field and spotted her sitting on a wall alongside a man with red hair who appeared to place his hand over her top.

Miss Mallett said the angry sibling wound down his car window and shouted: “Paedo!”

Clifford rode off on his bicycle, but the girl refused her brother’s offer of a lift and summoned ‘Gary’ back by phone.

Miss Mallett said a family “search party” found her in a field, sitting on a blanket beside Clifford, who fled when they approached.

The girl was taken home and the following day tearfully told her sister what took place, having agreed to meet the male, ‘Gary’, with whom she previously exchanged text messages.

She said she went to the rendezvous with a friend, but only she took part in sexual activity with Clifford.

Police were informed and recognised the description of his distinctive red Mohican-style hair cut, leading to his arrest.

He admitted what took place, claiming, however, that the girl previously told him she was 16-and-a-half.

But 23-year-old Clifford, of Pelaw Road, Chester-le-Street, admitted sexual activity with a child and two counts of breaching a Sopo at a previous hearing.

The court heard the order was imposed after his conviction for sexually assaulting a child under 16, in November 2009, which he first breached the following year by contacting another underage girl via social media.

Jane Waugh, for Clifford, told the court: “There’s little that can be said in mitigation other than his early ‘guilty’ plea and his frankness with police when interviewed.”

Jailing him, Recorder Ian Atherton told Clifford: “There are no mitigating features. You sought out and had sex with a child, who, due to her age, could not consent.”

Recorder Atherton said it was aggravated by his previous offences and Sopo breaches.

A new order was imposed, forbidding Clifford contacting girls under 16, while he will also be subject to registration as a sex offender, both for life.