A MAN who breached the conditions of a sex offender order has been given a 12-month conditional discharge by magistrates.

Mark Adrian Fisher, 37, of Elm Drive, Sedgefield, County Durham, appeared before Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday charged with having contact with a 17-year-old girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Fisher was accused of breaching a sex offender order, which prohibited him from having contact with people aged under 18.

Fisher, who has learning difficulties, pleaded guilty to having contact with the girl on three occasions.

However, Bruce Cunningham, defending, said that although his client had had contact with the girl, which was a breach of the conditions, it was a technicality.

"It really is the most technical breach," he said. "It happened that a person under the age of 18 happened to be in the company of my client as part of a group which was at his house."

The prosecution told how the girl admitted feeling uncomfortable in Fisher's presence, but Mr Cunningham described this as being far- fetched as she went to his house on three occasions.

The magistrates said that although the order had been breached, Fisher had not pursued the girl. She had gone to him, so a custodial sentence was not appropriate.