Scarborough peadophile facing jail sentence after approaching young children in the street and at their home

Paul Hurworth, 60, was on a sexual-harm prevention order banning him from having any avoidable contact with children under 16 years of age after being convicted of previous breaches in 2017, York Crown Court heard.

But in the space of two days in September this year, he walked up to a boy on a bicycle at the Manham Hill play park in Eastborough and engaged him in conversation, said prosecutor Michael Cahill.

Hurworth “showed him the contents of (his) carrier bag” and allegedly asked him if he’d like to go on a train ride to York with him.

He admitted talking to the boy and showing him the contents of his bag but denied trying to “lure” the youngster onto a train.

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The prosecution ultimately accepted his basis of plea because the child in question had not been traced and was therefore unable to verify the accusation.

Hurworth, of Manham Hill, also admitted going to a family home in Scarborough where he spoke to two young children. He told them to ask their mother “when the bins go out”.

He was charged with a third count of breaching the order in that he allegedly touched a youngster in a pram which was being pushed by the child’s mother.

He denied that allegation and the prosecution ultimately accepted his plea due to a lack of CCTV evidence. The allegation was ordered to lie on court file.

Hurworth appeared in court via video link on Friday, October 14, after admitting two counts of breaching the sexual-harm prevention order in respect of the child on the bike and the youngsters at the house in Scarborough.

The order was imposed at Sheffield Crown Court in 2017 for two breaches of a similar injunction, when Hurworth received a jail sentence.

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In June 2020, he was jailed for another 12 months for breaching the order again while living in Selby.

In that incident, Hurworth, who was bare-chested, approached a five-year-old girl in an “open-arms gesture” in an alleyway while her mother had her back turned. He then touched the girl on the shoulder and walked away.

In 1981, he was convicted of indecently assaulting an under-age boy and in 2004 was convicted of the same charge against a young girl. In 2015, he received an 18-month suspended prison sentence for causing a public nuisance.

In April 2019, he received a six-month jail sentence for three more breaches of the order.

His flagrant contravention of judicial orders included approaching, touching and stroking under-age children.

His solicitor advocate Neil Cutte said Hurworth’s previous convictions for child-sex offences and breaching the order meant that jail was inevitable.

Judge Sean Morris adjourned sentence to November 1. Hurworth was remanded in custody until then.