A SEX offender from York caught in an online paedophile sting is today back behind bars.

Matthew Simon Frary was first jailed and put on the sex offenders’ register for grabbing and sexually assaulting a woman as she waited for her husband late at night on Bootham in 2009.

Judge Scott Wolstenholme told York Crown Court she “must have thought she was going to be raped”.

After serving an 18-month prison sentence for sexual assault, Frary moved to West Yorkshire where in April this year he was detained by members of Predator Exposure at the Bradford Interchange after he tried to meet up with a 14-year-old girl for sex.

The homeless 36-year-old had been sending Facebook messages to a “decoy” profile set up by the group and had groomed his intended target by suggesting that they could go bowling together.

Bradford Crown Court heard how he claimed he was 20 during the Facebook contacts and arranged to meet up with the “girl” in April despite being told she was only 14.

Prosecuting, Camille Morland said Frary turned up to the rendezvous four hours late and was detained by group members.

Now he is back behind bars, this time serving a 27-month prison sentence.

He was also given a sexual harm prevention order restricting his behaviour on release and put back on the sex offenders' register, both for 10 years.

Frary pleaded guilty to offences of attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and breaching the notification requirements of the sex offenders' register.

The court heard that before his arrest in April Frary had failed to tell the police that he had been “sofa surfing” at a friend’s house in Bradford even though children were living there.

Miss Morland said the mother of the children did not know about Frary’s conviction and would not have let him into her home if she had.

Barrister Giles Bridge, for Frary, said his client had received an inheritance of £13,000, but it had all been spent in less than two months.

He said Frary and others had used the money to buy drink and drugs and it was at that time when he had contacted the decoy profile on Facebook.