A SEX offender failed to reveal to police two names he was using to operate social media accounts.

Blackburn magistrates heard officers who carried out a compliance visit discovered pornography on an iPad but an in depth examination had still to be carried out to establish if there were any illegal matters on the tablet.

Nicholas Peter Cook, 50, of Hurstwood Avenue, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to failing to comply with notification requirements of the sex offenders register. He was remanded on bail until September 17 for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

Catherine Allan, prosecuting, said Cook had been put on the sex offender register for life after being convicted of possessing indecent images of children. Officers who carried out the compliance visit examined an iPad and found it contained pornography.

They asked Cook to log on and that showed he had a Tumbler account under the name ‘Southamptonshorts’ and a Twitter account in the name ‘thebushistorian’,

“Neither of these identities had been registered with the police as he is required to do,” said Miss Allan.

Duncan Nightingale, defending, said under the terms of the sex offender register the police had to be able to check his client’s internet use and he therefore he had to tell them of any account names he was using.

“The two names in the charge were not given to the police,” said Mr Nightingale.

“It is two years since the order was made and he says he had forgotten this detail in ignorance.”