Sex offender jailed for hiding 12-year-old

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DURHAM, England, May 1 (UPI) -- A registered sex offender in Britain was sentenced to three years in jail for abducting a 12-year-old boy and hiding him in a cupboard, police say.

During a routine visit Dec. 29 by an officer from Durham's public protection unit to the home of registered sex offender Adam Younger, the boy was found in a bedroom cupboard. The officer encouraged the boy to come out, and reassured him he wasn't in trouble.

Younger, 23, fled and later sent the boy text messages saying, "Run" and "Say you have only been for ten minutes." Police later apprehended Younger at his grandmother's house in Sunderland, The Northern Echo reported.

Younger admitted abducting the boy, and was sentenced to three years in jail as well as psychological treatment.

Younger was already under a Sexual Offenses Prevention Order for previous offenses. He had two previous run-ins with the law for sexual contact with boys under 13 and another offense for downloading child pornography in 2009.