A convicted sex-offender has been caught wandering the corridors of a County Tyrone school, dressed as a woman.

The behaviour led to a breach of a previously imposed Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) which bans the defendant coming within 20 metres of schools or places were persons aged under 18 frequent.

Geoffrey Rainey Kelly (35), from Lakeview Crescent, Fivemiletown is charged with committing the offence on the afternoon of June 17.

A police officer objected to bail at Dungannon Magistrates Court.

Police were called to St Ciaran’s College, Ballygawley after staff spotted Kelly wearing women’s clothes and a blond wig, walking along school corridors, having gained entry by a side door.

He appeared to be trying handles on doors of rooms, but did not enter any of them.

Staff confronted him and he claimed to be looking for a third-year female pupil, providing a name.

The school register was checked an no child of that name was a pupil.

Kelly left in a vehicle which police later found at Ballygawley Park & Ride. He was seated in the driver seat wearing a white skirt and pink jacket, with a string of pearls around his neck, as well as the blond wig.

On being quizzed, Kelly accepted being at the school, claiming he was “Just looking around.”

The officer told the court, “We are objecting to bail on the basis of previous offences – including two sexual assaults on female in 2016 and 2017, and well as indecent exposure to a teenager in 2017.”

Bail was refused and Kelly was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link later this month.