A convicted Doncaster padoephile hid his sordid past to befriend a family and sexually assault their young boy.

Michael Fisher was already on a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO) banning him from contact with girls after a 2021 incident.

But he never mentioned this to the family as he began to visit their home earlier this year.

Leeds Crown Court heard that the 37-year-old would go their home to play with the children and was adamant he would take the children swimming.

Paedophile Fisher (pictured left) befriended a family so he could have access to their young son.

placeholder image — Paedophile Fisher (pictured left) befriended a family so he could have access to their young son.

But the unsuspecting mother began to notice the boy was withdrawn, would refuse to go to school and would swear and misbehave.

It was not until June that the youngster told his family that Fisher had “touched his bits”, referring to his genitals. He said Fisher would touch himself at the same time.

He said Fisher would sit next to him and touch him, prosecutor Jazmine Lee told the court.

Fisher, formerly of Doncaster but now of Burnsall Grange, Armley, was arrested on June 28 and his internet devices seized. Officers later found three videos of “very young” children being abused - classed as Category A because they involved rape.

During his police interview, Fisher said he was gay and preferred younger men, but denied having an attraction to children.

This was despite his conviction from 2021 when he drunkenly got into bed with a sleeping young girl and sexually assaulted her. He was jailed for 20 months on that occasion and given the SHPO.

Appearing in court via video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand, for his latest crimes he admitted sexual assault of a child under 13, making Category A images, and breach of his SHPO.

Mitigating Peter Byrne said Fisher was eager not to put a child through the ordeal of a court hearing and pleaded guilty at an early opportunity.

He said there was little other mitigation to offer, but said Fisher had used his time constructively while in prison, taking educational courses.

Judge Christopher Batty told Fisher he had “wormed” his way into a family back in 2021 and repeated his behaviour this year.

He told him: “You have a sexual interest in children. You took an opportunity to assault this boy.

“There was no thought to the long-term consequences of what you were doing, you could not have cared less. Your sexual gratification was all that counted.”

He jailed him for three years and nine months, put him on the sex offender register for life and gave him a new, lifelong SHPO.