A PAEDOPHILE due for release from a five-year sentence for attacks on young boys has admitted further offences against children.

Alan Chater, 54, was jailed in 2001 after police searched his home in Dene View, Burnopfield, County Durham, and found a camera containing a photo of himself engaged in a sex act with a young boy.

While on bail for these offences, he travelled to Carlisle where he molested a young boy in a park, Newcastle Crown Court heard.

At the time of the attacks he had previous convictions for indecent assaults on young boys and unlawful sexual intercouse with a girl.

The former lorry driver could have been released in July, but police - using advanced DNA techniques - linked him to further attacks on children in South Tyneside and Sunderland.

Chater, who initially denied the new offences, pleaded guilty to three charges of indecent assault and one of gross indeceny with a child yesterday.

The first indecent assaults, in Castletown Dene, Sunderland, on January 14, 1996, were on a boy aged eight and a girl aged 11. They were confronted by Chater, who was armed with a knife, and told to take their clothes off before they were indecently assaulted.

The next offence, of indecency with a child, happened on April 19, 2000, in Hebburn, where Chator forced a ten-year-old boy to commit a sex act with him while a younger boy was ordered to watch.

The last attack, on August 20, 2000, involved a boy aged 14 who was indecently assaulted in Jarrow. Further similar charges were dropped after the guilty pleas were entered.

Defence barrister John Evans asked for the case to be adjourned for preparation of reports.

He said Chater has been receiving treatment and counselling in prison.

Sentence was adjourned until November 22.