A CONVICTED paedophile from Worcestershire who spent almost two decades in prison has died.

David Pates, of The Orchard, Powick, died while imprisoned at HMP Birmingham on Monday, March 18 aged 79.

Pates was sentenced to 41 months and 15 days in 2007 after admitting to the indecent assault of a child and making and possessing indecent images of children.

He had previously been convicted of six indecent assaults while working at a swimming pool in 1984 and indecently assaulting a nine-year-old girl in the late 1990s.

As a result, Pates was jailed indefinitely for public protection (IPP) as he was deemed to be too dangerous to be allowed in public.

The charge, similar to a life sentence, meant that he would only be released from jail if he could prove that he was no longer a danger.

An investigation into Pates's death by the Prison and Probation Ombudsman found that he died from sepsis caused by a bacterial skin infection called cellulitis.

The ombudsman offered his condolences to those who knew Pates.

The clinical reviewer in charge of reviewing Pates's clinical care while imprisoned at HMP Birmingham found that he received a standard of care equal to what he could have expected had he been out of prison.

 The reviewer made two recommendations to the head of healthcare at the prison, however, these were not related to Pates's death.

The ombudsman investigated any non-clinical issues relating to Pates's care in the lead up to his death.

In his report, the ombudsman said: "We did not find any non-clinical issues of concern and we make no recommendation."

Pates tried to appeal his IPP in 2011, but three senior judges at London's Court of Appeal ruled there was enough evidence to suggest he was still a risk.

The inquest, held on Tuesday, August 13, concluded that Pates's cause of death was natural causes.