A PAEDOPHILE who broke a court order by spending much of his time with a Selby area family has been sent back to prison.

Robert John Woodhouse, 29, cannot have contact with children without social services authorisation and supervision.

But he became closely involved in the Selby family's life without telling social services, the third time he had formed a relationship with a mother with young children, Michael Smith, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

She did not tell the authorities although she knew about his crimes and the order, but their grandmother, worried about a paedophile having such regular contact with her grandchildren, did.

For him, James McGowan said: “He was trying to provide normality in his life.”

Woodhouse’s actions brought to 14 the number of times he has breached the order which is designed to protect children from him. He has also failed on one occasion to let the police know where he was staying.

Jailing him for 18 months, Judge Paul Worsley QC said: “May I make it absolutely clear to you. If you come back before me for breaching this order, you will be looking at five years as the likely sentence you will receive.

“Something has to be done to bring it home to you that youngsters have to be protected.”

Woodhouse, of East Dene, Rotherham, pleaded guilty to nine breaches of a sexual harm prevention order committed between late January and early March.

The order was made in 2013 when he was jailed for 18 months for attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. An extra protection for children was added in 2017.

Woodhouse had previously been jailed for 12 months in 2015, eight months in 2016 and 12 months in 2017 for other breaches. None of the breaches involved sexual misconduct.