A Vermont sex offender was arrested hours after his release on a previous conviction

Authorities warned residents in Barre on Wednesday night that 29-year-old Alex Rich would be released the following day to their community, reported WPTZ-TV.

Rich was described as a high-risk sex offender — and he was accused of violating the terms of his release within hours.

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“The nature of his offense was involving a 14-year-old female who he had just met — predatory in nature, from my point of view,” said Chief Tim Bombardier, of Barre police.

Rich had just finished serving a prison term for sexually assaulting another 14-year-old girl a decade earlier, when he was 19 and living with a friend in the teen’s home.

He was convicted in that 2008 case of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child and sexual assault.

Rich was held on $100,000 and scheduled to appear Friday in court for arraignment on the new charges.