November 2010

Paedophile ‘to be monitored’ when released

Police have pledged to monitor a convicted paedophile who recently found himself back behind bars after befriending a woman with children.

Tennis coach James McAlpine, 42, was jailed for life in 2002 for offences against young boys after changing his name to avoid detection.

McAlpine, who changed his name by deed poll to Jay Powers, was released last year. But he broke conditions of the sex offenders’ register by failing to notify police that he stayed at an address which was not his own for more than seven days.

Under the name Jay Powers he recently appeared at Exeter Crown Court for failing to comply with the terms of the register. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight months in jail. He had already served 110 days on remand and is about to be released again.

A Devon and Cornwall police spokesman said it could not confirm his release date, but pledged to monitor him.

September 2002

Name change paedophile jailed

A convicted paedophile has been jailed for life for a string of abuse after changing his name to avoid detection.

Tennis coach James McAlpine, 34, from Exeter, Devon, should have been supervised by police after signing on the sex offenders’ register – but he changed his name by deed poll.

McAlpine, of Howell Road, was jailed on Thursday at Exeter Crown Court after admitting 12 sex charges including a serious sex assault on a 13-year-old boy.

McAlpine was jailed for 30 months in 1997 for seven indecent assaults on boys and was told to sign the sex register after his release in November 1998, the court was told.

But he went “underground” by changing his name to Jay Powers and worked as a tennis coach in Devon, the court heard.

He met the boys he abused through his work and moved in with the mother of one of them, the hearing was told.

He was caught after one of the boys called Childline and another told a friend, the court heard.

Stephen Mooney, prosecuting, said: “This case is an example of how the intentions of Parliament with regard to the registering of sex offenders can be thwarted by a devious and persistent individual.”

Martin Steen, defending, said McAlpine changed his name because he was afraid of vigilante attacks.

McAlpine admitted a serious sexual assault on a 13-year-old boy, three indecent assaults, three charges of gross indecency on three boys aged 12 to 14 and five counts of possessing pornographic images of children.

Judge Graham Cottle told McAlpine: “You are devious and manipulative, you targeted and groomed these boys, I regard you as highly dangerous.”

A Home Office spokesman said: “We have undertaken to look at the issue of deed polls and publish proposals in the autumn with a view to legislation as soon as possible.”