Almost 500 sex offenders across the UK have disappeared off the police radar - including three missing for more than a decade in Derbyshire.
A Freedom of Information request from Sky News has unearthed figures showing that 485 sex offenders, including convicted rapists and paedophiles, are currently missing in the UK.
In Derbyshire, seven registered sex offenders have seemingly vanished, three of which have been missing for more than 10 years.
The seven offenders have been missing over separate periods since June 2006, February 2008, May 2010, January 2012, and September 2017.
Offences include rape, indecent assault of a boy under 14, sexual assault on a child under 13 and gross indecency with a girl.
Figures released for Staffordshire Police suggested that five registered sex offenders had gone missing as of January but a spokesman told the Burton Mail the total had now dropped to two.
Carl Ratcliffe, head of public protection for Staffordshire Police, said: "All necessary investigations and procedures are in place and conducted to trace any individual that goes missing or doesn't comply with their reporting requirements.
"All offenders are subject to thorough and regular risk assessment and multi-agency monitoring and this is carefully considered when deciding what approach to take.
"Along with our partners, we consider the need for public safeguarding and would not hesitate to take appropriate action where required."
In Leicestershire, the whereabouts of one sex offender is unknown.
Nationwide, there are 485 sex offenders who have disappeared off the radar, a jump of more than 20 per cent in the last three years.
The names of the missing sex offenders cannot be released under data protection laws.
Alex Mayes, from the charity Victim Support, told our sister paper, the Mirror: "These figures will potentially be very alarming to victims of sexual offences and could undermine public confidence in the criminal justice system.
"To ensure the safety and well-being of survivors of sexual offences, as well as local communities, it is vital that the police strictly monitor sex offenders."
There were a total of 55,236 registered sex offenders living in England and Wales in 2016/17, according to a report published by the Ministry of Justice last October.
