A NETHERTON pervert who had been barred from buying children's underwear was caught wearing five pairs of girls knickers when cops made a routine check on his home.

Kevin Plant who had been described as posing a "serious risk" of causing sexual harm to children was also found to have hidden another 35 of girls pants behind cushions in the property.

Plant who had a fetish for children's underwear had admitted breaching a 10 year Sexual Harm Protection Order by acquiring the knickers.

Judge James Burbidge QC had deferred sentence on him to see if he could keep out of further trouble and after being told the 51-year-old had been responding to therapy he ruled he would let him keep his freedom.

He gave Plant, of Mousesweet Close, Darby End, a 15-month suspended prison sentence and further ordered him to pay £50 costs.

The judge told Plant that since he first appeared before him he had been looking at ways to keep him out of a spell behind bars.

He added: "The primary concern is that you are at risk of abusing children. It seems to me your offending clearly crosses the custody threshold but you are attending therapy and it says in the probation report you have performed well."

The judge concluded at Wolverhampton Crown Court: "A further 15 sessions is going to be better than locking you up for a relatively short time."

Simon Rippon, defending, said reports compiled on Plant had not come to the conclusion his offending merited a jail term.

He said Plant had recognised he needed assistance to deal with his problem and he was "doing well" with his therapy. "He says he is determined to turn his life around."