Sex offender hands himself in to police

A paedophile who was featured on a new website aimed at tracking down missing sex offenders has handed himself into police.

Gordon Stewart was one of five sex offenders whose details were published on the new site after they breached their notification requirements and disappeared.

He handed himself into police in Aberdeen and it is believed that he was then arrested.

The site, which was launched on Friday, was set up by the Child Exploitation and Online Protection centre in order to appeal for information about sex offenders who have gone missing.

Those who are featured on it are offenders who have already been convicted and punished for their crimes, but who then breached their notification requirements and disappeared. Doing so is an arrestable offence, which is punishable by up to five years imprisonment.

The details on the website include the names and ages of the offenders, as well as where they have gone missing from, and a photograph.

However the details of their convictions are not included.

Mick Laurie, chief executive of Crimestoppers, said: "We are pleased that the campaign has already had an impact with the site receiving so many hits and the surrounding publicity resulting in one wanted individual contacting the police themselves.

"It is not surprising that there is so much interest in this campaign from the public but it is vital that they do not approach any of these men."

(KMcA/EF)