A convicted paedophile in Kingston has been ordered to have no contact with children after magistrates decided he was a danger to boys under 16.

On Monday, Kingston magistrates imposed a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) on Camilo Fernandez, 54, who lives in the Kingston area, after deciding he posed a high risk of sexual harm to the public.

A psychological report carried out on behalf of Fernandez described him as being sexually attracted to young boys and said he struggled to set appropriate boundaries.

Fernandez lives alone and is a regular church-goer. In February 2006, a church leader told police that Fernandez was behaving inappropriately with a young male member of the congregation and that he had seen disturbing transcripts of online conversations between Fernandez and a teenage boy in Scotland.

He has been a prolific sex offender with a criminal record dating back to 1973.

He is currently undergoing a year's course of cognitive behavioural therapy and treatment for sex offenders.

Miss Gibbons, counsel for the Metropolitan Police who applied for the order, told the magistrates that Fernandez's offending has escalated in recent years.

In December 1998, a social worker reported to the police that Fernandez had befriended a woman with a 13-year-old son, and bought him an expensive games console.

In November 2000, he was reported to be hanging around schools and public toilets. In February 2006, a church leader told police that Fernandez was behaving inappropriately with a young male member of the congregation and that he had seen disturbing transcripts of online conversations between Fernandez and a 16-year-old boy in Scotland.

In December 2006, a Christmas card that Fernandez sent to a 15-year-old boy after befriending him on the social networking website bebo.com was intercepted by the boy's mother and reported to police.

Earlier this year, Kingston Police responded to a further allegation by searching Fernandez's house and discovered indecent images of children on his computer. This investigation is still ongoing.

There are five requirements on the order, including informing the police about any change in address and not being allowed to take on any paid activity or unpaid voluntary work that would bring Fernandez into unsupervised contact with anyone under the age of 16.

Chair of the bench, Mr Mulholland, imposed the order for an indefinite period with a minimum of five years.