A 48-year-old man who admitted a series of serious sex offences against children will be sentenced next month AFTER he returns from a week-long holiday on a Greek island.

Matthew Thompson appeared before a judge at Bradford Crown Court this morning and pleaded guilty to offences including assault of a child by penetration and sexual assault of a child.

The abuse was described by Judge Jonathan Gibson as “an extremely serious case”, but after Thompson entered his guilty pleas to multiple charges the judge was told that the defendant had a paid for pre-booked holiday to Kos which he would like to go on tomorrow.

Barrister Gillian Batts, for Thompson, said the flight leaves tomorrow and her client was due to return on October 27. 

She suggested that given the seriousness of the case it would be appropriate for Thompson, of Bentham Drive, Barnsley, to “sign on” at Barnsley police station between 12pm and 2pm on October 28.

Miss Batts said she had advised her client that he would also need to sign on as a sex offender with the police today in order to be able to go on holiday.

“You’ve pleaded guilty and you will of course get proper credit for your guilty pleas in due course when you’re sentenced,” the judge told Thompson.

“You’ve been on bail and I’m not going to revoke your bail simply because you have entered honest pleas.”

The judge said he was making it a condition of Thompson’s bail that he reported to Barnsley police station on October 28 to ensure he had returned to the UK.

“As you know you are now subject to the sex offender registration provisions and you’ll need to report to the police to do that before you go,” he added.

Thompson’s sentence date has now been fixed for November 18.