A convicted paedophile has been locked up again after approaching young children at a library.

Sex offender Russell Hogg, 64, has been jailed on multiple occasions and has a grim history of offences including downloading thousands of indecent images of children.

Hogg, of Middle Row, Maidstone, has now been sent back to prison for more than two years after breaching a court order and approaching young boys and girls at the town’s library.

He ignored several measures which stopped his access to anyone under 16 by starting conversations with a group of children in school uniform and has been described as having a “disturbing desire to be in contact with children”.

The former Larkfield man was previously sent to prison in 2019, 2018 and 2010 for sex offences. Hogg was made the subject of a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) in January 2018, after he was sentenced to prison for making and possessing child sex abuse images.

The order contained several restrictions designed to safeguard children, for when Hogg was granted parole. These included a ban on any unsupervised contact or communication with a child, as well as limitations around his use of the internet.

On April 24, Hogg went to Maidstone Library where a group of schoolchildren were sat at a table studying and he tried to engage them in conversation as well as staring at them and shouting towards them.

He revisited the site in James Whatman Way over the following weeks and on May 12 he approached the same group, loitered around their table, while asking if they were meeting up socially or to study.

Hogg was arrested on the same day and later charged with breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

Appearing before Maidstone Crown Court, he pleaded guilty and admitted further charges which included failing to comply with notification requirements and possessing and making indecent images of children.

On Tuesday (Aug 20), Judge Robert Lazarus sentenced Hogg to two years and 10 months’ imprisonment, describing him as “a committed paedophile”.

Upon his release from custody, he will be subject to a revised SHPO with further restrictions.

Detective Constable Homam Al-Sinawi said: “Hogg has a lengthy history of sex offences, and the most recent court order had been designed to reduce and manage any risks he posed upon his release from prison. Unfortunately, Hogg has once again demonstrated a disturbing desire to be in contact with children and his behaviour has left his latest young victims feeling scared and anxious.

“I’d like to reassure parents and guardians we have dedicated teams of officers with powers to closely monitor those convicted of sexual offences, and ensure they adhere to any measures and restrictions imposed by the courts. Sexual harm prevention orders are just one of several tools which help us protect children and other vulnerable people, and which allows us to rigorously pursue offenders like Hogg and ensure they get the prison sentences they deserve.”