A convicted paedophile with a history of 71 offences secretly obtained a passport and went on holiday with an unwitting family, Swansea Crown Court has heard.
Andrew Priday, 61, who has 12 previous convictions for offences committed between 1997 and 2005, appeared in court for breaching the terms of his placement on the sex offender register.
The court was told that a well-meaning family had offered Priday a room during their five-day holiday in Bulgaria. Unaware of his criminal past, they flew with him from Cardiff Airport in June.
However, Priday had failed to inform the police about acquiring a passport in January 2021, as required by his conditions, and had not mentioned it during subsequent annual declarations.
Upon learning of Priday's history, the unnamed father, who had unknowingly allowed the offender to join his partner and child on holiday, told the court he felt "physically sick". He added that he was "physically shaking" when he discovered the truth about Priday's past.
The father expressed his distress, saying: "I feel physically sick that I allowed him to come on holiday with us and be in such close proximity to my child."
Priday, a Swansea local, was arrested upon his return to the UK. Authorities also discovered he had a new, undeclared mobile phone. He pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a sexual offences prevention order and three counts of failing to abide by the requirements of the sex offenders registration scheme.
This is not Priday's first time behind bars for sex offences. His initial 1995 conviction for indecent assault of a child and gross indecency with a child resulted in a seven-year prison sentence. In 2005, he received an 11-year extended sentence for indecent assault of a child, sexual activity with a child, making indecent images, and possessing indecent images.
Judge Geraint Walters described Priday as "determined and devious", saying he had "given up on any pretence" of complying with the requirements. The judge sentenced Priday to 32 months in prison, with the possibility of release on licence after serving up to half of the term. Priday received a one-third discount on his sentence due to his guilty pleas.
Priday's defence counsel, Andrew Evans, noted that there was no suggestion of offending during the Bulgaria trip, but conceded that Priday's compliance had "faltered" in recent years.
The court also heard that Priday had previously become engaged to a woman without disclosing his criminal history.
