Police have offered to run background checks on suspicious adults working with children after a hardened paedophile was able to offend again after being employed by a Warwick church.

Yesterday reported how child predator Christopher Winslow Darrell was found guilty of fondling a boy ? despite the fact the church knew he had four other sex related convictions ? including at least one on a girl.

Det. Con. Frank Foggo of the Juvenile Domestic Crime Unit said of the church?s actions: ?They knew about it but took chance. They warned him, ?We know about you past, stay away from the girls?. He obviously followed that advice and started on boys.?

Staff at the church have failed to return calls to to answer questions about the incident.

But yesterday Juvenile Domestic Crime Unit head Peter Giles said: ?People should always be cautious about those who befriend their children and the motivations be examined.

?I don?t wish to take away from anyone who is a bone fide agency or worker out there trying to do the best for the youngsters of Bermuda. But there are people who for months or years will cultivate relationships with families and young children with the intent of interfering with that child.?

He said worried parents should call Police who can do background checks on previous convictions and help determine if a child is at risk.

?If an parent has believes something is happening we should be told. If there is anything to support that we will act.?

Last year there were eight cases of sexual exploitation of a young persons.

?I believe figures are increasing all the time because of the awareness of the issue,? Det. Insp. Giles said, adding the public called Police to alert them to sex offenders lurking near schools and kiddie hang outs. ?When that happens our response is to go there to identify that person and speak with them to let them know we know they are there and they must behave themselves.?

He said it helped prevent attacks as offenders were less likely to take a chance.

A law which came into effect in October 2001 allows sex offenders and others to be placed under supervision for up to ten years after prison.

And the Home Affairs Minister can notify specific individuals or the public at large if a release offender is in their area, although it has seldom been used.

Police last used it in 2002 to warn Sandys schools that a child murderer was living in their area.

Women?s Resource Centre executive director Penny Dill said: ?I think it needs to be used more!?

She said anyone working with children should be subject to background checks. ?If someone doesn?t like the idea they obviously have something to hide.?

Det Insp. Giles backed recent calls from Corrections Commissioner Hubert Dean to put pressure on sex offenders and others to attend programmes to help change their behaviour, rather than leave the prisoner to decide if he wants to go.

?Any sex offender should be ordered to undergo some form of treatment in relation to their crime in the hope he can moderate his behaviour.?

Det. Insp. Giles cautioned: ?Once a paedophile always a paedophile. It is about a getting them to control their urges.?

He said adults needed to take abuse complaints seriously and not sweep them under the carpet.

?A child being abused in any way needs to know he can turn to an adult for protection. When you ignore their issues and complaints you leave that child hanging in the wind, feeling very alone and vulnerable. The adult community has a duty to listen and report if child is being abused.?

He said parents tried to spare their children the ordeal of court and thus denied them the chance of obtaining any sort of closure. ?Sometimes parents think more about themselves than the child.?

That approach could increase the chance of the abused child suffering lasting psychological damage said Det. Insp. Giles.

Long term problems caused by child abuse include anti-social behaviour, anti-authority attitudes and drug and alcohol addiction.