'Most wanted' paedophile arrested in Ireland after tip-off via website

Published on Thursday 2 September 2010 18:24

An ON-THE-RUN Scottish paedophile has been arrested in the Irish Republic.

Fraser Benjamin McLaughlin, of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, was detained in Dublin after a member of the public tipped off detectives.

The child sex offender was spotted in the city after someone recognised him from a mugshot on an online most-wanted list.

The 57-year-old's details had been posted on the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (Ceop) website last Friday.

McLaughlin was last seen boarding a ferry for Northern Ireland earlier this year and had been on the run since.

Jim Gamble, Ceop Centre chief executive, said: "Once again we prove that the public are willing and able to help locate convicted missing child sex offenders.

"If McLaughlin thought he could hide then he is tonight learning a lesson.

"My message to other convicted offenders who think they can also go missing is to look at this story and give themselves up, as they too may find their details posted on our site."

McLaughlin, who had been missing for several months, could face up to five years in jail for failing to notify authorities of his whereabouts, a requirement for those on the sex offenders register.

He was also wanted for failing to answer bail over previous child abuse image offences.

Detective Inspector David Tassie of Strathclyde Police said: "I am delighted that we now have a result."