A SEX offender has been jailed after he moved in with a young mother and her 12-year-old son without telling her about his past.

Kevin Stephens was not allowed to move into the house in Okehampton without telling the police but failed to do so because he knew they would inform the woman he was on the Sex Offenders’ Register.

A routine police check revealed he had moved out of his own home in Holsworthy and officers traced him after he was made a named driver on the woman’s insurance policy. When a police officer knocked on the door, Stephens answered.

Stephens, 52, has been on the register since being found guilty of downloading indecent images of children in 2006 and in that time he has broken its conditions six times.

He had previously been jailed for flouting the conditions of the register and another suspended sentence had only just expired when he moved in with the unsuspecting mother. She had no idea of either his original offence or his history of breaching orders when she allowed him into her life and her home.

Stephens, of Holsworthy, admitted two counts of failing to comply with the register and was jailed for eight months by Recorder Mr John Williams at Exeter Crown Court.

He told him: ’There have been numerous occasions when you have not done what you are supposed to do. The only way to sort it out is to comply with the requirements.’

Miss Anita Noerr, prosecuting, said Stephens moved to Holsworthy in 2014 and should have told police about any move to a new address. A spot check was made on his home in October but there was no reply and three further attempts to contact him at home or by phone or text failed.

Miss Noerr said: ’The officer contacted the mother to make sure she was fully aware of the defendant’s position and said he had only given her a minimal amount of information about his previous convictions and she was not aware of his notification requirements.’

She said Stephens’ previous breaches took place in Newquay and Surrey and he had served two prison sentences in the past.

Mr Stephen Nunn, defending, said Stephens had never committed any contact offences against children and apart from his original conviction, all his offences had been breaches of orders.

He said there was no suggestion there was any risk to the mother or her child and Stephens had planned to tell her about being on the register when their relationship was better established.