A convicted sex offender loitered near children while camping at Riverbend Park in Launceston, the Launceston Magistrates Court heard.
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David Edward Lee, 42 pleaded guilty to a count of loitering near children and a count of contravening a notice to stay away from the park.
Police prosecutor Angela Robinson said that Lee was found guilty in Western Australia in 2007 of four counts of sexual relations with a person under the age of 16.
She said that on January 1, police were called to Riverbend park by a member of the public in relation to a homeless male acting suspiciously.
Lee provided a false name but was given a direction to leave for eight hours.
Police were called again on January 7, January 23 and February 2.
"Police body worn camera footage showed children playing in the background," Ms Robinson said.
He was bailed not to enter the park but on February 18 a member of the public again called police because a man was seen to be approaching children. He was arrested and remanded in custody.
Defence counsel Hannah Goss said Lee's benefits were cut off by Centrelink and he had lost his accommodation and was living in parks.
"Mr Lee accepts he doesn't have a reasonable excuse and accepts he could have been elsewhere," she said.
She submitted that the time he had served already was sufficient punishment.
Magistrate Simon Brown remanded him in custody for sentence on May 31, 2023.
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