A PAEDOPHILE who had appealed to the authorities for help was eventually caught snooping on children at a York playground, a court heard.

Six years ago, parents called for locked entrance doors and tighter security at an Acomb school after Phillip James Bargh, 25, trapped a girl in one of its toilets and indecently assaulted her. He has since served a four-year jail term.

Now a registered sex offender, Bargh had repeatedly contacted probation officers for assistance and warned police about his possible actions during last summer.

Police officers were worried about what he might do and had spoken to him, David Bradshaw, prosecuting, told York Crown Court.

But on June 18, after tracking him for hours through South Bank and Heworth, they found him hiding near the Bismarck Street playground, watching children while performing a sexual act. Officers managed to scare him off and arrest him.

The Honorary Recorder of York Judge Paul Hoffman, told Bargh: "You are a predatory paedophile.

"The question is how best to protect young children from you. What is needed is someone watching you constantly."

He said Bargh had been getting gratification from his actions near the playground.

"This was after you had been touring around, no doubt looking at other children."

But the law did not permit him to jail him, because Bargh had pleaded guilty to outraging public decency, which was not classed as a sexual offence.

He ordered Bargh, formerly of Acomb and now living at an unknown address elsewhere in York, to do three years' community rehabilitation including sex offenders' treatment.

Chris Tehrani, defending, said that Bargh was aware of the risk he posed to children and wanted treatment. In the weeks leading up to his latest offence, he had repeatedly contacted the probation service.

"He was crying out for help," said the barrister.

Updated: 10:29 Saturday, December 21, 2002