A CONVICTED Powys sex offender has been fined after he failed to alert the authorities that he was leaving the UK to go holiday.

As part of a previous offence from 2018 – in which he was convicted after trial of sending explicit messages to someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl, but who turned out to be a paedophile hunter who had set up a fake social media profile – Clifford Hayden Parker was placed on the sex offender’s register.

It meant the 56-year-old had to submit to certain notification requirements – like informing police if he moved address, changed his bank details or was going on holiday.

Llandrindod Wells Magistrates’ Court heard this week that Parker, of Irfon Terrace, Llanwrtyd Wells, had gone on holiday to Greece this summer and failed to complete a foreign travel notification form with police – even though he had contacted a police officer he knew to let her know he was travelling abroad.

Parker admitted two charges at court on Wednesday, December 7. Both offences relate to August 25.

Charge one states that Parker failed to comply with the notification requirement as provided by the Sexual Offences Act 2003 in that he failed to notify police of foreign travel. Charge two states that he failed to notify police of his passport details.

Prosecutor Stephen Davies said Parker had been convicted of the sexual offence in December 2018. The charge relates to Parker attempting to incite a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity. He had denied the offence but was found guilty following his trial at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on December 12, 2018.

“The offence required registration. He was required to notify police 7 days in advance of any foreign travel and of his passport, credit card and bank details,” said Mr Davies.

“On August 25 DC Harding was checking her mobile for messages and she could see that on August 21 she’d received a text from the defendant asking her if she was visiting before he went on holiday.

“There was also a voicemail that made reference to going abroad in the next few days. She checked the police system to see if he’d completed a foreign notification form which he hadn’t.

“His passport also hadn’t been checked. He said he’d registered his details in Llandrindod Wells Police Station. He was on holiday for 2 weeks but didn’t attend the police station.

“He was interviewed and said he thought he had done it, but he didn’t realise he had to fill in a form.”

Owain Jones, representing Parker, said there was “nothing sinister” about his client’s trip abroad.

“This is a first breach and on the whole he has engaged well with police,” said Mr Jones.

“I hope to persuade you to impose a financial penalty. It is a minor breach, it causes nobody any harm.

“He did communicate with police, he informed an officer, via text and voicemails back and forth. It was an error not going to the police station to complete the form, but police did know about this journey.

“The requirement to go to the station is mired in regulations. Also, when you first register you are given a list of do’s and don’t’s and he’s lost this.

“He has been up front with police. When he returned he’s shown police his tickets and passports. There was nothing sinister about the trip, he travelled to Greece with his partner.”

Magistrates told Parker that such offences normally required them to punish defendants with a community order, but they said that because it was his first offence and he had reached out to police, they would let him off with a financial penalty.

Parker was fined £120 for the first offence and he must also pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge. For the second charge they ordered no separate penalty.