A FATHER is facing the prospect of spending Christmas in prison after being found guilty of threatening a convicted child sex offender.

Matthew Doyle, from Andover, is set to be sentenced at Basingstoke Magistrates Court on Monday, September 30, after previously being found guilty of public order offences.

The offences relate to an incident which took place in June in which Matthew says he attempted to ‘expose’ a child sex offender who was living near him.

The sex offender had, in 2014, been put on a six-month suspended sentence for sexually assaulting a child under the age of 16. He had also previously served 21 days in prison for breaching a court order for a separate sex offence in 2015.

In June, this year, Matthew confronted the sex offender near the underpass connecting Pilgrims Way and Toledo Grove.

The 30-year-old said he was concerned the man had been "hanging around schools" and reported it to the police. Hampshire Constabulary has been contacted for comment.

He then went to the offender’s house – which has multiple occupants – to confront him, filming the incident whilst knocking on the door and calling the man out, asking other residents if they knew the man’s history and whether they thought it was acceptable.

Later that evening, police returned and arrested Matthew for public order offences, and after a trial at Aldershot Magistrates Court he was found guilty.

He will be sentenced tomorrow (Monday) and due to his previous convictions he says he has been told to expect to serve time in prison.

“I am going to be in jail for Christmas and my son’s birthday, and yet this paedophile has only ever been sent down for ten days,” said Matthew.

The father admits he has a lengthy criminal history, and formerly used drugs, but has been “out of trouble” and clean since the birth of his son three years ago and is concerned about the effect a return to prison might have on his reform and recovery.

He also admits swearing when filming and confronting the sex offender, calling him a “f***ing paedophile” on multiple occasions as well as saying “your life is going to be a misery here, especially with me as your neighbour”.

However the self-employed brick layer says his intent was not to cause harassment, alarm or distress, rather his intent was to ‘expose’ the child sex offender.

“I went over with the intent to raise awareness and I was a passionate parent doing what any parent would,” said Matthew.

“It’s my duty. It wasn’t a choice I made; it was a duty as a parent.

“I exposed him. That happens daily all around the country with paedophile hunters and the paedophiles are always the ones in trouble, not the hunters.”

His sentencing is set for Basingstoke Magistrates Court at 11am tomorrow (Monday).