Paedophile arrives in town

July 2009

A convicted sex offender who went missing from his approved Northern Irish accommodation was yesterday located in Wicklow.

37-year-old Paul Hunter Redpath, considered to be a high-risk paedophile, was at large after recently failing to return to his approved accommodation.

On Tuesday morning Redpath was spotted and approached by local gardaí. He made his identity known and was brought to Wicklow Garda Station where he assisted the gardaí with their inquiries.

It’s believed he may have headed to Dublin once he finished his meeting with Wicklow gardaí.

The PSNI issued a warning when Redpath first went missing, warning members of the public not to approach the Scot and describing him as posing a serious risk to vulnerable children and young people.

The location of the approved accommodation he failed to return to remains unknown, though it’s understood to be somewhere in Northern Ireland.

In 2005 he pleaded guilty at Downpatrick Crown County Court in County Down to sex offences against two young girls.

He was given a three year sentence and a three year probation term for indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge of a 13-year-old.

In September 2006 he went on the run in the Republic following his release from Maghaberry Prison and was later found living in Dublin.

This led to an agreement between both Irish and British Governments to track sex offenders who attempt to evade detection by travelling out of their jurisdiction.