A PHOTOGRAPHER tracked down the addresses of convicted paedophiles intending to take their pictures to sell for profit, a court heard.

Andrew Stone, 48, is alleged to have posed as a parcel deliverer when he went to the two men's homes in Bradford and Keighley.

He faces two charges of fraud, relating to convicted child rapist John Farrar and Dean Broadbent, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a teenage girl.

It is alleged he made false representations, which were untrue or misleading, intending to make a gain for himself or another, or to cause loss to another, or expose another to risk of loss.

Both offences are alleged to have taken place on April 28 last year.

Bradford Crown Court heard yesterday that Stone, of Adelaide Road, Southampton, also faced trial at Portsmouth Crown Court for blackmail, based on similar activity.

The court heard he faces further charges of harassment before magistrates in Plymouth.

Those charges relate to allegations that Stone took photos of five men, at home or work, telling them their images would appear on the website UK Paedophiles Exposed, with details of their offences.

Prosecutor David Hall said both the Bradford and Portsmouth trials involved taking photographs of sex offenders with a view to making pecuniary advantage.

Mr Hall said in the blackmail case, a demand for money was made, while in the Bradford cases he was going to sell the photographs.

The prosecutor said the criminal conduct was very similar and the cases should be charged together.

He told Judge Peter Benson: "There is probably a nexus between this offending in Yorkshire and the blackmail."

Mr Hall said witnesses in the Bradford case wanted to give evidence by video link and the cases could both be dealt with at Portsmouth.

Stone's barrister, Mark Florida-James agreed and said the Bradford case would almost certainly be produced by the defence in the blackmail case.

Mr Florida-James added: "We don't think it would be prejudicial to Mr Stone. It seems it would suit the prosecution if the cases could be dealt with at Portsmouth Crown Court and witnesses in this case could give their evidence by video link. Why not have the same jury decide the same issue?"

He said the police officer with knowledge of all the cases was based in Hampshire.

Judge Benson told bespectacled Stone that both the prosecution and defence thought the case should be tried at Portsmouth on March 2.

He said: "Efforts will be made to see that that happens."

Judge Benson said there would be a hearing at Bradford on Monday, January 26, to acknowledge that arrangements had been made to move the case, but Stone did not need to attend.

He granted him bail until his trial on existing conditions that he is not to contact, directly or indirectly, any registered sex offender in England and Wales.

*Bradford man John Farrar was jailed for eight years in 1998 for three offences of rape, three of indecent assault on a female under 14 and gross indecency with a child, and placed on the Sex Offender Register for life. In 2009, then 40, he was given an 18-month prison sentence for breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order, preventing him having contact with under-16s.

Dean Broadbent, of Keighley, a former mental health worker, was jailed for nine months in 2008, when aged 27, for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

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