A registered sex offender who breached his reporting obligations by driving a teenage girl, who he met on Snapchat, from Warren towards Orange was convicted in Orange Local Court on Monday.
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The man who cannot be named, was sentenced for five breaches of the Child Protection Offenders Register by being in the company of people aged under 18 without notifying police.
The 38-year-old Orange man was stopped by police at the intersection of Wambianna Road and Trangie Collie Road, at Gin Gin, on June 17 while on his way from Orange to collect the teenager from Warren.
On June 19, police confirmed the identity of the 16-year-old girl who had asked for a lift via Snapchat. The man told police he dropped her off in the Bathurst area.
When police reminded him about not contacting a person under 18 he said "I thought it was under 16". Police also spoke with the teenager who said the man only gave her the lift.
The other four offences, dating from February to July, were for not telling police when he was at a house or gathering where people aged under 18 were present, including when other adults were present.
They are not a complex set of rules, it's a blatant breach.
- Police prosecutor Sergeant Beau Riley
None of the five charges involved sexual offences. The man has been on the register since 2012.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Beau Riley argued for the man to serve full-time jail because he breached the conditions he was given to protect the community.
"They are not a complex set of rules, it's a blatant breach," Sergeant Riley said.
However, magistrate David Day said if he sent the man to jail he would not be in custody long enough to qualify for necessary rehabilitation programs, for which he would need a non-parole period of three years.
To ensure the man does get treatment, Mr Day gave him a community-based custodial sentence by way of an Intensive Correction Order for a total of three years.
The ICO will include electronic monitoring, not associating with any person under the age of 18 except in the company of another adult and he will have to complete 300 hours of community service.
Any breaches could result in him serving the rest of his sentence in jail.
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