Warsop man breached sex offender rules by holidaying without telling police

Mansfield Magistrates’ Court heard Colin Hayes failed to tell police about trips to Greece, between August 1 and 8, and to Spain, between September 8 and 12, and neglected to register his passport with them in July.

Robert Carr, prosecuting, said: “When he returned to Manchester airport he was checked by border staff and they realised he hadn’t complied with his obligations.”

Magistrates heard Hayes was made subject to the order at Nottingham Crown Court in 2012, for offences against a 15-year-old girl when he was aged 19.

Hayes, aged 28, of Sycamore Street, Church Warsop, admitted three counts of failing to comply with the sex offenders’ register.

Chris Lacey, mitigating, said Hayes did not check the details of the order because he was “embarrassed” by the offence and “wanted to move on”.

Mr Lacey said: “He is not a single man travelling to Thailand. They were family holidays. He didn’t really give it very much thought.

“This order was made some years ago. He had not been on holiday for six to eight years. He booked and went on holiday within 24 hours of the passport arriving.”

Hayes told magistrates: “I am very sorry. I wanted to show my son what a good dad I was.”

Magistrates told him it was “a serious matter” that came “very close to the custody threshold.”

Hayes was advised to “get the order out every now and again and make sure you are on top of everything you have to do”.

He was given a 12-month community order, with 10 days of a rehabilitation activity requirement to address his thinking skills.

Hayes was also ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work and pay court costs of £85 and an £85 victim surcharge.