A PAEDOPHILE who disappeared after he was released from prison was found by police living in the North-East with an unsuspecting woman and her young child, a court was told yesterday.

Graham Bailey, 22, was jailed three years ago for indecently assaulting two young girls. He was ordered to register his address with police for the next seven years, but disappeared from his last known home, in Bedford.

Last year, he met a woman from Teesside on the Internet and in October he moved in with her and her daughter. On November 18, they moved to another house on Teesside, where he was arrested.

Bailey said he did not register because he did not want the woman to find out about his past.

Yesterday, he faced a maximum punishment of five years in jail after he pleaded guilty to failing to register as a sex offender.

But Judge Michael Taylor said it would cost £45,000 to keep him in prison and that it would be better to make him work for the community.

He was ordered to do 150 hours community punishment and told to ensure the police knew his whereabouts.