July 2022

Paedophile had boy living in his house

When the authorities visited Francis Dawson’s house after a tip-off they found him home alone with the boy who was in the kitchen.

Dawson had a lifelong ban on having children in his house after a series of sex offences against boys and girls.

Hull Crown Court heard Dawson was “ultimately responsible” for ensuring that he did not flout the order but he brazenly ignored it even though he knew the consequences after being previously jailed for the original offences.

Police and social services intervened to get the boy removed for his own safety but he was found living there again with his mother just two days later, the court heard

Stephen Welch, prosecuting, said that Dawson was jailed in 2008 after being convicted of a series of sexual offences against male and female children.

He had been given an indefinite sexual harm prevention order restricting him living in the same household as children under 18 or arranging contact with them.

But a woman and her 10-year-old son began living with Dawson and his wife on May 12 as a favour to them but in breach of the order. Social services and police became aware of the matter a fortnight later.

The boy was found in the kitchen of the house in Ings Road, east Hull getting some food while his mother was out at work.

They were moved into accommodation provided by social services.

But on May 27, police were contacted by social services to say that the mother and her son were missing from the hotel where they had been staying.

Dawson’s address was checked by police and the door was answered by the missing woman. The boy was there doing school work on a tablet computer.

Dawson was arrested because, as a registered sex offender, he was not allowed access to children. “Having been removed, the mother and child returned there a couple of days later,” said Mr Welch.

Dawson, 61, admitted breaching a sexual harm prevention order between May 12 and 27 and failing to comply with his notification requirements as a sex offender.