A DIGITALLY aged picture of East Lancashire's most wanted child sex offender has been created in a bid to track him down.

Joshua Karney was jailed on November 28, 2002, for plying a 14-year-old boy with cider and trying to grope and have sex with him in Barnoldswick.

But after serving a four-month prison sentence he went on the run in April 2003 after being told to report to a bail hostel in Blackburn.

Now his photograph has been updated to allow for ageing and posted on a website run by the national Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre.

The organisation, made up of police, IT experts and protection agencies such as the NSPCC, published photographs of 13 wanted high-risk offenders when it was launched last November.

Nine have been located and Irishman Karney is one of four who have had their photos up-dated.

Officers hunting him have now re-issued appeals for information about the 30-year-old paedophile, who has connections across East Lancashire. Insp John Clucas from Lancashire Police said: "Karney is featured on the website for a reason, because he is a dangerous offender, and the only way we will find him is with the co-operation of normal people."

Jim Gamble, CEOP chief executive, said that: "People might be tempted to change their appearance, and we don't know quite what that may be, but we do know people's age.

"Offenders who believe they can evade management by going on the run underestimate our determination to track them down. With the public's help we are finding these offenders one by one.

"We have a strong message to any offender who is currently outstanding - hand yourself in, or prepare for public exposure."

But he added that just because the updated image has been posted on the website it did not mean that was the only effort they are making to hunt Karney.

In June the BBC's Panorama programme criticised CEOP after reporters were able to track down many of the paedophiles listed on the website but they were not arrested after police "failed to act quickly enough" to information provided by the broadcaster.

Mr Gamble said: "Ultimately the website has been a huge success but have there been some lessons learnt? Of course there have."

Burnley Crown Court heard how Karney moved to Barnoldswick and was camping when he attacked his victim.

Karney was jailed for 15 months, given an extended licence of two years, banned from working with children and ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years, after admitting indecent assault.

Karney is known to travel throughout the United Kingdom and uses several names including, Mark Moffitt, Devon Daniels, Aiden or Aaron Wiely, Kieran Arran O'Shea or James O'Shaun.

He has a strong Dublin accent, pierced left eyebrow, pierced left ear, large birthmark on the centre of his back and is slim.

Anyone with information about Karney's whereabouts can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.