More sex offenders run from the rules

May 11 2008 Mark Aitken, Political Editor

THE number of freed sex offenders carrying out new crimes has quadrupled in six years.

The Sunday Mail can reveal the number of registered sex offenders who broke their monitoring conditions has soared from 12 in 1999-2000 to 68 in 2005-2006.

Breaches include failing to keep the police informed when they move house.

Politicians and support groups said they were appalled by the increase.

David Sinclair, of Victim Support Scotland, called it "alarming".

Scottish Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said: "We have to gear our thinking to the tragedies that repeat offending can cause."

In 2006, a Scottish Parliament inquiry recommended paedophiles who breach conditions should be pictured on the internet.

It followed a petition by Margaret Ann Cummings, of Royston, Glasgow.

Her eight-year-old son Mark was killed by known sex offender Stuart Leggate.

Last week sex beast Martin Cusick was arrested at Heathrow after two years on the run. The ex-policeman fled his home in Clarkston, Glasgow, in 2005.