A man wanted on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children was on the run for seven months before police told the public.

Brian Rogers, 54, was finally arrested less than 24 hours after police launched an appeal on Tuesday.

He was due to answer bail at Brighton Police Station in John Street on January 25 and was set to be charged for the alleged offence.

However, Rogers never made that appointment and went missing for more than seven months despite an extensive police search before being arrested yesterday.

Detectives had warned parents in their appeal that Rogers may try to befriend families of young girls and boys and manipulate the relationships.

However, Sussex Police said any public appeal earlier in the year would have been hampered by publicising the search.

The force issued an appeal at 2.45pm on Tuesday with an image of Rogers and by 8.30am next morning he was located in a London park where he was believed to have been sleeping rough.

He was arrested by Metropolitan Police officers in Green Park, London, after a member of the public recognised him from an overnight TV news appeal.

Rogers has nowbeen returned to the custody of Sussex Police.

The police said they were concerned about the “potential risk” Rogers posed and circulated his details to all other forces in the country and Interpol.

Rogers was originally arrested for accessing images of children through the Internet and detectives said he had not contacted any children in the offences being investigated.

A Sussex Police spokesman said: extensive enquiries to find Rogers “would have been hampered by publicity”.

“We do not automatically publicise every suspected offender who we seek, and every case is assessed on its detailed and individual circumstances.”

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