A DISABLED pensioner once dubbed by a detective as "Medway’s most persistent sex offender" is back behind bars.

Reginald Jarrett, 78, was jailed for three-and-a-half years after he was found guilty by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court of twice breaching a sex offender order.

This was the fourth time Jarrett had flouted the order originally imposed by Medway magistrates in October 1999 at the request of the police. Made for 10 years, it prohibited Jarrett from having contact with a child without adult supervision.

However, he breached it six times in November 2000, eight times in March 2002 and five times in April 2004. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years in 2000 and 2004, and for 360 days in 2002.

The latest sentence was imposed by Judge Andrew Patience QC. He said: "It is worrying because you are a man of 78 in declining health and it is worrying because you seemed determined to ignore the order a court made and when you have the opportunity you seek out the company of attractive young girls and talk to them about innocent matters before touching on matters of a sexual nature."

Jarrett has already served 216 days on remand. Judge Patience said he hoped that upon release suitable accommodation would be found for Jarrett that would care for him while protecting the public.

The jury of eight women and four men took less than half-an-hour to find Jarrett guilty of two offences of doing an act prohibited by a sex offender order.

They had heard from the start of the trial about his previous breaches. They were told by prosecutor Rufus Stilgoe it would be "helpful" in deciding whether he had also committed these offences.

They were told that in June last year Jarrett twice left the door of his home in Goddington Road, Strood, open and called to a 14-year-old paper delivery girl to go in. He told the girl he liked her very much and asked if he could take photographs of her in a bikini and of her friends.

Wearing a dressing gown, Jarrett then "proceeded to engage her in the kind of conversation which meant after the second occasion she never again went back," said Mr Stilgoe.

Jarrett even told his care worker Janice Bates: "I like the colour of your hair. I have a papergirl who has that colour hair. I like it very much."

When arrested, Jarrett denied that the girl went into his flat or that he had any sexual attraction to her.

Giving evidence from his wheelchair Jarrett, who suffers from a heart condition and ulcerated legs, said he did not invite the paper girl into his home but neither did he ask her to leave.

"I knew of the restriction," he said. "But at that particular time nothing came into my mind, and the way I am at the moment, I need a lot of help from lots of people.

"She must have been in the room two or three minutes at the most. I didn’t ask her to leave. I have a weakness for redheads and I happened to remark that she had nice hair.

"After she left I did realise I had made a foolish mistake but at the same time, it’s one of those things that happen on the spur of the moment. I’m afraid I just put it out of my mind."

Jarrett denied giving the girl any money or asking whether she and her boyfriend kissed and cuddled. He also refuted suggesting she pose in a bikini for photographs.

Jarrett also claimed he had not done anything wrong with regard to his previous breaches. "I’ve done nothing wrong, apart from breaching the order," he said. "This is what annoys me. I’ve been punished when I’ve done nothing wrong."

The sex offender order prohibits Jarrett from encouraging or permitting any child under the age of 16 to be on his property without adult supervision. The order also bans him from being in contact with children in a public place, other than with adult supervision.

The order was originally imposed as Jarrett has previous convictions for indecent assault, attempted intercourse with a girl under 13 and gross indecency.

Jarrett has always pleaded guilty to his earlier breaches.

In 2004 when Jarrett was jailed for two-and-a-half years the officer who led the case described him as a menace.

Det Con Bernie Flintoff said at the time: "I’m just glad he’s off the streets and not harming children. He is the most persistent sex offender in Medway."