A “DANGEROUS” sex offender who attacked a woman in broad daylight has been jailed for a decade after the Daily Echo printed a witness appeal.

John Selder fled for Brighton to start a new life after a CCTV image of him appeared in the paper in May.

But the attack on the woman, a rough sleeper, led police to two unsolved sex offences involving a 17-year-old dragged off the street and a six-year-old child, and he was arrested shortly afterwards.

The 34-year-old, who is originally from Holland but has been living in Spring Road, Boscombe, is feared to have attacked others in a two-year spree of sexual assaults.

He was sentenced to 10 years in prison at Bournemouth Crown Court, but could serve up to 16 years if a parole board believes that he is still a danger to others.

Judge Peter Johnson said: “The catalogue of offending started in January 2011 when, having knocked on the window of a house, you then masturbated in the presence of a child who answered the knock to see what was going on.”

Months later, on May 20, Selder dragged a teenager off the street before sexually assaulting her.

“You attacked a young woman in the spring of her life,” said Judge Johnson.

“Having attacked her from behind, you made threats having dragged her up a driveway.”

However, both crimes remained unsolved until Selder struck again in May this year.

In the final incident, captured on CCTV, he attempted to rape a woman in the car park of the private Nuffield Health hospital in Lansdowne Road.

His victim managed to escape, and vital DNA evidence given to police linked Selder to his previous crimes.

Judge Johnson said: “You demonstrated ‘daring’, or a reckless disregard about being caught.”

Speaking after the case, Detective Constable Richard Skinner of Dorset Police said: “We believe that there may be other victims out there, and would encourage them to call us in confidence on 101.”

He added: “The CCTV photograph printed in the Echo led to the identification of this dangerous sexual predator.

“We believe that the photograph of Selder may lead to other victims coming forward.”

Selder, who winked at his long-term girlfriend as he began his sentence, pleaded guilty to sexual assault by penetration and engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child earlier this year.

However, he denied a charge of attempted rape, and was found guilty following a trial.