PAEDO SUSPECT SPENDS THREE MONTHS ON BAIL LIVING IN FAMILY HOTEL
Kids in same Travelodge as man wanted for ‘sex abuse campaign’
A SUSPECTED paedophile was bailed to live at a Travelodge for three months – alongside unsuspecting families.
Retired builder Jacek Witkowski, 72, wore an electronic tag and could not leave the hotel after 11pm.
He faces extradition to his native Poland, where authorities have been seeking him since 2007 on suspicion of a campaign of sex abuse against a child.
Witkowski was allowed to stay at the £50-a-night budget hotel in Bedford between April and July.
It is popular with families visiting nearby Woburn Safari Park.
Witkowski could face 10 years in jail if convicted of abusing a youngster, under the age of 15, between 2002 and 2004.
Alleged offences include showing the child images of underage sex.
Law enforcement officials issued a “Wanted” notice for Witkowski some 15 years ago.
He was traced to Britain in 2012 after obtaining a passport at the Polish Consulate in London. But the address he gave did not exist and he was finally tracked down to a house in Bedford and arrested in September last year.
It is understood he was allowed to live in the hotel after an extradition hearing at Westminster magistrates court was told a relationship had broken down.
He was first admitted to hospital with an acute kidney injury and congestion of the lungs – then moved into the Travelodge after being discharged.
District Judge Grace Leong ruled in
July that there were grounds for his extradition. She said: “The UK should not be seen as a safe haven to those who are wanted to serve a sentence or to stand trial.
“I have found the RP [Witkowski] to be a fugitive who has been evading the judicial authorities for a number of years. The course of sustained sexual offending over a few years on a very young child who is vulnerable as a result of [their] age could not be more serious.”
Witkowski is now in custody after a final decision on his extradition was passed to new Home Secretary Suella Braverman.
During an appeal against expulsion, his lawyers asked a High Court judge to prevent publication of his name. The Sunday Mirror is only now able to name him after his legal bid was dismissed .
Ruling on Witkowski’s extradition, Mr Justice Wall said: “He has mental health issues but not such as would warrant his name being withheld.”
Last night, Travelodge was facing questions on why it allowed a suspected child sex criminal to stay at one of its hotels. A spokesman said: “The safety and security of customers and staff is of paramount importance to us.
“We work with a range of third parties and have stipulated to them that we do not accept bookings for individuals that are known as a sex offender or paedophile.
“In line with the UK hotel industry we cannot conduct background checks on every customer.”
The Home Office did not comment.
He is a fugitive and has been evading authorities for years DISTRICT JUDGE LEONG AT EXTRADITION HEARING