Rapist fails to disclose change of address

A CONVICTED rapist lived with his family in Chatteris for nine weeks before he told police where he was.

And Michael Ryan only admitted his whereabouts by text message after police visited his former home in Paston, Peterborough.

Because he is on the Sex Offenders Register for life, 31-year-old Ryan is obliged to tell the police of any address change within three days, and tell them if he spends more than seven days at a temporary address.

But when his rape conviction became public knowledge at his former address, he moved in with his mother and siblings to an address in London Road, Chatteris, and failed to notify the police.

He moved into Chatteris at end of October, and it was January 6 before he sent the message, Fenland magistrates were told on Tuesday.

Ryan admitted failing to comply with Section 80 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Sentencing was adjourned until March 6 and he was given unconditional bail.

Prosecuting, John Nooijen said Ryan was jailed for eight years by the Central Criminal Court in London in 1997, and was released in February 2002. He lived in Paston, and was monitored in the community.

When police visited his Paston address in January they were told he had moved out, and the following day they received a text message from him.

Mitigating, Anita Waterman said: "The purpose of the registration is to stop sexual offenders dropping off the radar and re-offending. There is no suggestion that my client committed any further offence."

Ryan decided to leave his former address after his partner's daughter learned of his conviction and told a lot of other people, she said. His partner was heavily pregnant.

"His concern was for his partner and her other children and the baby about to be born," she said. "He felt the address and everyone in it was at risk, so he moved out.

"It was not uppermost in his mind that he had to register the change of address.