A repeat sex offender is back behind bars for bathing a 2-year-old child _ his third breach of a court order imposed 18 months ago to protect children from him.
David John Edwards, 65, has been under surveillance since August 17, 2011, when an extended supervision order was imposed on
him at the Wanganui District Court.
The order applies for 10 years and means Edwards is not allowed to associate with anyone under 16, but he has continued to breach this condition.
In 1993, and again in 2007, Edwards was convicted and imprisoned for unlawful sexual connection with a girl under 12.
Two days after appearing in court in November 2011 for breaching his extended supervision order, Edwards initiated a conversation with a girl, for which he was sentenced to 12 months' home detention.
In his latest breach, on December 20 last year, Edwards allowed some people, and a 2-year-old child, to stay overnight at his Wanganui home. In the Wanganui District Court on Wednesday, Ms Burlace said her client accepted he was likely to be imprisoned for the breach and another transgression the following day, when he broke a condition of his home detention by consuming alcohol.
Judge Dugald Matheson sentenced Edwards to 21 months in prison for breaching both extended supervision and home detention.
Judge Matheson said it was likely Edwards would be electronically monitored once he was released.
However, he noted Edwards had been subject to electronic monitoring when these latest offences were committed, and it had not prevented them.
