William Tyrrell person of interest Paul Bickford to appear in Port Macquarie court over alleged breach of conditions

A CONVICTED paedophile questioned by detectives investigating the William Tyrrell disappearance will front court again later this month after allegedly breaching his reporting conditions.

Molester, who was questioned over Tyrrell, in court again

A CONVICTED paedophile questioned by detectives investigating the William Tyrrell disappearance on the state’s mid north coast will front court again this month after allegedly breaching his reporting conditions.

The Saturday Telegraph can reveal Paul John Bickford — the former president of grandparent support group GAPA (Grandparents As Parents Again) — allegedly breached court orders imposed on him over child sex offences around the same time he was photographed by this newspaper visiting his wife’s home in Port Macquarie on September 7.

Bickford pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting an 11-year-old girl who suffers Asperger’s syndrome during a drive to the shops to buy her lollies.

He was given a 16-month suspended jail sentence last February and barred from contacting children.

Facing court: Paul Bickford.

Hunt: William Tyrell.

The former Senior Volunteer of the Year and his wife Sandra, who is not a person-of-interest in the case, have been questioned extensively by homicide detectives investigating the suspected abduction of Spiderman-loving toddler William.

The now four-year-old vanished from his grandmother’s Kendall home in September, 2014, while wearing his favourite superhero costume.

Since becoming a person-of-interest in the high-profile case that has torn at the heartstrings of Australia, Bickford has been ostracised by many residents on the mid-north coast, who don’t believe he should be allowed to mix with the community.

“He’s a bloody fool (for pleading guilty to indecent assault),” his wife Sandra told The Saturday Telegraph in September.

Relatives of Bickford’s young victim said she has been volatile since the assault, resorting to cutting her own arms to deal with the emotional pain.

It is unclear if Bickford’s alleged breach relates to a visit to his wife’s home in September, when The Daily Telegraph observed him leave the house in a white sedan at 9.15am and return about 15 minutes later after a visit to the shops.

Bickford, who denies any involvement in the disappearance, will face Port Macquarie Local Court on January 20.