Irish paedophile freed in error is re-arrested
Joshua Karney was convicted of a sex offence against a child in Lancashire in 2002 and jailed for 15 months, but failed to report to a probation hostel when released on licence.
Prior to his arrest yesterday he was one of Britain’s five most wanted sex offenders.
Karney, aged 30, had been on the run after going missing from Lancashire in 2005.
Karney gave a false name to police after being arrested for being drunk and disorderly in Barnsley on November 24 last year. He was fined and released after being in custody for only a few hours.
A spokeswoman for South Yorkshire Police said an investigation had been launched with Lancashire Police to investigate how the mistake was made.
Karney has appeared on the BBC’s Crimewatch and is on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection’s “most wanted” website.
A police spokesman said he was arrested after a “proactive operation”.
He initially gave officers false details, but later admitted his identity when in custody.
Karney is to remain in custody overnight and the matter will then be passed to Lancashire Constabulary.
