The Oxford Mail has hit out at a judge after he banned the paper from naming a paedophile who admitted sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

Judge Bruce McIntyre originally tried to impose the reporting restraint by preventing the 23-year-old from being named under Section 39 of the Contempt of Court Act – a section that does not exist.

This order was later withdrawn and the Mail was gagged under Section 11 of the Contempt of Court Act.

Despite the paper pointing out to the judge that such bans could not be legitimately used in the case of a convicted paedophile, he stuck by his decision, saying that the man was a "vulnerable individual" whom he feared would be bullied in prison.

But despite not being able to name the man, who admitted indecent assault and was sentenced to 15 months in jail, the Mail was able to name his girlfriend and co-defendant, who admitted aiding and abetting an offender and was jailed for 21 months.

Group news editor Jason Collie said: "The order banned us from naming him not from identifying him. We took a judgement on that.

"We're amazed that the judge appears to have taken it on himself to protect the identity of a man guilty of a serious sex offence, one so serious that a prison sentence was imposed.

"We do not want to name and shame him, we just think the public have a right to know, particularly for such a serious crime.

"The decision flies in the face of open justice.

"The judge has completely misused the Contempt of Court Act powers in our view and Section 11 has been wrongly used."

Jason said that the Mail had not yet decided whether to appeal, but the paper's lawyer would be writing to the judge in an attempt to reverse the decision.

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