Known sex offender molested boy

The court heard Randall had a previous conviction for a sexual offence

A convicted sex offender who molested a four-year-old boy while being monitored by the police has been jailed for five years and four months.

Steven Randall, 23, from Strathaven in South Lanarkshire, committed the offence as the boy slept at a house in Ayrshire in March.

Randall had been on the sex offenders register for a previous crime involving children but dropped off it last July.

The judge said he posed a "high risk" and imposed a lifelong restriction.

The parole board will decide when it is safe to release him.

Judge Lord Mackay said: "I am advised there is a risk of serious sexual violence, and that violence might be directed against children or adults."

The High Court in Edinburgh heard that Randall molested the four-year-old in the middle of the night while he was a visitor at the boy's family home.

At an earlier hearing he admitted indecent behaviour towards the child.

Police monitoring

The court was told that Randall was previously on the sex offenders register, but his registration ended in July 2008.

However, because the of "high risk" status police decided to continue monitoring and visiting him.

The court heard the child involved had alerted his mother to the abuse.

When Randall was initially questioned he denied the allegation but, in a subsequent police interview, he admitted what happened.

The judge also ordered that Randall be put on the sex offenders register again.