THE victim of a child molester has fled Worcestershire after she was told he would be returning to the city - four months after he was sentenced to a year in prison.

The 17-year-old girl, who was abused by the sex fiend for several weeks in 1991 when she was six, was too terrified to continue her studies in the county in case she came face-to-face with her abuser.

Her family was notified by Victim Support that he would be released this week and warned that the pervert was expected to return to the Worcester area. Before he went to jail the man, who is in his mid-50s, had been living at an address in St John's.

The victim's father believes the paedophile poses a threat.

"I'd hate for another family to go through what our family has gone through. This man is a danger. I want everyone in Worcester to know he will be walking the streets," he said.

There had not been enough time for the child molester to be rehabilitated, he claimed.

At Worcester Crown Court last October, the paedophile, who had a previous conviction for sexually assaulting a child, admitted sexually abusing the girl every day for three weeks in 1991.

His six-month sentence was extended to a year after the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, intervened at London's Court of Appeal in December.

A report put before the appeal judges said that, although the paedophile had not committed any offences since 1995, he was still a risk to young girls.

"The offender will continue to present a risk not only in terms of re-offending but also in terms of causing serious psychological harm to young females unless and until he receives treatment," said the report.

"The little girl said nothing for about 10 years but all the time remained upset and angry and increasingly so."

Worcester Police, West Mercia Probation Service, Victim Support and the Home Office declined to comment on the details of the case.

"It is not our practice to disclose or confirm details of people required under the Sex Offenders Act 1997 to register their whereabouts within West Mercia," said a police spokeswoman.

"We constantly review the risk associated with each offender in partnership with other agencies, including probation and social services, and monitor them very closely through case conferences.

"Our aim is to work with other agencies to ensure that they don't offend again and the only way we can do that is to know where they are, keep an eye on them, and help them get a stable life."

On advice from senior officers of West Mercia Police, the identity of the paedophile in this story is not being revealed. They fear that disclosure of details may contribute to public anxiety, undermine their ability to track the man, drive him "underground" and so pose a greater threat to children.