April 2000 Paedophile dragged girl, 9, into his home ; Jailed for six years and put on sex offenders register A SELF-confessed paedophile was today beginning a six year prison sentence after dragging a nine-year-old Birmingham girl into his home as she was on her way to school. Michael Yates, who also tried to abduct a young boy, was put on the Sex Offenders Register for life by Birmingham Crown Court. Yates, 45, of Factory Road, Handsworth pleaded guilty to charges of kidnap, attempted kidnap and indecent assault on a male person. Peter Cooke, prosecuting, said the two victims both went to the same school in Handsworth. On February 8 this year the boy, aged 10, was walking past Yates’ home when the defendant tried to grab him. However the child was able to pull free and ran home where he told his grandfather what had happened. A few minutes later Yates grabbed the girl off the street and took her into his house. He had a knife with him and made her sit on a settee. Yates then tried to unzip the girl’s coat but the victim jumped up and managed to run out of the house. Shortly after that police received a phone call from Yates who told them what he had done and that he was a paedophile. When police arrested him he appeared to be drunk and told officers he had consumed two litres of sherry and a bottle of vodka the previous night. Found rope When interviewed Yates spoke openly of his urges saying that there were ‘thousands of kids out there’ and that he wanted one. He told officers to search his car where they found a duvet cover and a rope which he admitted he had with the intention of abducting a child and tying them up. Yates admitted driving around looking for children but said he had never fulfilled his fantasy. Mr Cooke said that during the course of the interviews, Yates confessed he had sexually abused a young boy about 14 years previously. Monica Pirotta, defending, said Yates had led a lonely and quiet life and turned to alcohol in a bid to blot out his urges. She said his world had fallen apart just after Christmas when he lost his job through illness.