A 'FOOLISH' Southampton sex offender lied to police about his real address, because he was afraid of losing his home and job.

Southampton sex offender Andrew Portelli has been jailed for six weeks after lying to police about his address.

Portelli, 49, was given a suspended sentence last month after attempting to meet who he believed was a 14-year-old girl at a supermarket car park. As part of his sexual harm prevention order, he was required to register his address with police.

However, Portelli provided a false address because he was working as a night porter at The Elizabeth House Hotel and feared losing his job and accommodation if his employers found out.

Police were later informed of Portelli's sentencing, which was reported in the Daily Echo, and he was subsequently sacked.

At Southampton Crown Court, Judge Gary Burrell QC described Portelli's actions as "astonishingly stupid" and sentenced him to six weeks in prison. Portelli had breached the order just days after his initial sentencing on February 8.

During the previous sentencing, it was revealed that Portelli had sent inappropriate messages to a member of a paedophile hunter group, posing as a 14-year-old girl online. He had invited the girl to shower with him and arranged a meeting at an Aldi car park, where he was confronted by the paedophile hunters.

Portelli's defense attorney, Gemma White, argued that he had been "foolish" in lying about his address. She stated that he was concerned about losing his job and accommodation at the hotel.

Judge Burrell QC emphasized that Portelli should have realized the consequences of providing false information to police. He said, "You must have realized that not giving police the right information would have caused a breach of your order."

Portelli, who had been in custody for a month since his arrest, was eligible for immediate release after serving his six-week sentence. He was also ordered to complete an additional 50 hours of unpaid work, bringing his total to 150 hours.

His original six-month suspended sentence remains in place.