A SEX offender who invited young children into his home and was also found to have indecent images on his computer has been jailed for three years.

Patrick Charles Bowen, 55, was sentenced at Dorchester Crown Court for nine offences of possessing indecent images and three charges of breaching a sexual offences prevention order.

The court was told that the indecent images charges arose after police executed a search warrant at Bowen’s address in Beech Road, Puddletown, on February 10.

A tower computer was seized and was found to have more than 250 indecent images on it.

Prosecutor Heather Shimmen said Bowen had been made subject of a civil sexual offences prevention order in May 2010.

She said he had been placed on the sex offenders’ register after committing previous sex offences and police were forced to apply for the order as they were concerned about his association with several young boys and wanted to monitor him more closely.

Miss Shimmen said that while Bowen was in custody in relation to the indecent images he asked to speak to officers and made admissions to seeking out the company of several local children in the months before his arrest, which he was banned from doing by the order.

The charges related to two girls, aged 11 and eight, and an 11-year-old boy.

The children and their parents were interviewed and it emerged the youngsters had all spent time at the defendant’s home address.

The children described how Bowen had a draw full of toys and things to interest children and Miss Shimmen stressed that none of the children had complained of anything ‘untoward’.

She added that one of the parents described being ‘worried sick’ when they found out about Bowen’s background and the fact their daughter had spent time in his company.

Lee Christmas, mitigating, said: “There is no suggestion that this would have gone any further than contact.”

He added that Bowen had agreed to the sexual offences prevention order being in place in the first place and had assisted police by making admissions about the breaches of the order.

Mr Christmas said that previous treatment Bowen had undergone to address his behaviour meant he felt he now had ‘robust barriers’ in place to make sure there was never a danger of physical contact with children.

Judge Roger Jarvis told the defendant: “Every right-thinking member of society views these offences with horror.”

He added: “You present a very worrying picture to the court.”

The judge sentenced Bowen to a total of two years in prison for the indecent image offences and one year for the breaches of the sexual offences prevention order, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

Bowen was also made subject to a new sexual offences prevention order and placed on the sex offenders’ register for life.