Convicted sex offender Russell Wilkinson found playing with children

A former fast food worker who was caught with child porn has been spotted playing with youngsters outside an East Lancashire church.

Leaders of the Inghamite Church at Fence, near Nelson, said they were unaware that ex-McDonald?s employee Russell Wilkinson, 33, who is originally from Clitheroe, had been banned from associating with youngsters.

Now church members have insisted they will be standing by Wilkinson, now of Bedford Road, Barrowford, who has been hauled before the courts for flouting his sexual offences prevention order (SOPO).

Wilkinson was warned that he must not associate with children under 18 when he was sentenced by Blackburn magistrates for six charges of possessing indecent images of youngsters.

But when police discovered his activities at the Wheatley Lane evangelical church, he was ordered back to court.

Rev Matthew Butler, Inghamite minister, said Wilkinson had become a member of the close knit church.

He added that he was made aware by Wilkinson that he was involved with the police concerning downloading indecent images - but not that his contact with youngsters had been restricted.

Mr Butler said: ?We do have child protection policies in place and all of our youth workers are checked with the Criminal Records Bureau.

?When Russell came to us he did talk to me about some of the issues which he had, although he did not mention about the order that he had.

?There is no evidence, and I have talked to other people in the church, that he has harmed any children.

?Nevertheless on the strength of what I was told by the police steps were taken to ensure he did not come to our morning services.

?While it is clear Russell has considerable issues, the church is committed to helping him and people from the church have visited him in Preston Prison.?

Mr Butler said he was also aware that Wilkinson had started to use the name ?James? so he could secure work as a door-to-door catalogue salesman.

Wilkinson appeared before Burnley Crown Court where he admitted four offences of breaching his SOPO, and one charge of breaching his sex offenders register requirements.

One of the SOPO charges relates to him ?playing with children? outside the Wheatley Lane Road church, last August, and the remaining three concern him talking to under-18s.

The sex offenders register breach concerns an attempt to change his given name.

Wilkinson has been remanded in custody so pre-sentence and pyschological reports can be prepared on him.

Last year, the Lancashire Telegraph reported how Wilkinson, who worked at McDonald?s Barrow restaurant off the A59, had been found with pornographic images of children at his Clitheroe home.

And in May Blackburn magistrates, while passing sentence, imposed the sex offenders order, to limit his access to children.

Detectives also found the names and addresses of children who had entered competitions at the fast food outlet at his home, the Blackburn court heard.

Prosecutors said they were also aware that Wilkinson had been seen playing hide and seek with children in the grounds of Clitheroe Castle.

Lancashire Telegraph