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Madeleine McCann case: 'Notorious' pedophile arrested, to be questioned

A "notorious" British pedophile - previously convicted for raping an eight-year-old girl in Australia - is being held in Malta, suspected of having links to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

Roderick McDonald, 76, was arrested in a dramatic swoop yesterday and will now be extradited back to the UK.

He has been on the run since a 2012 conviction for the abuse of two girls.

McDonald was also previously extradited from Portugal to Australia in 2010 after the rape of an eight-year-old girl here, reports The Mirror.

"He is a notorious and dangerous sex offender. He’s shown a pattern of disturbing behaviour wherever he has travelled", a source said.

Roderick McDonald, 76, is to be extradicted. Source: Andrew Chant Pictures
Roderick McDonald, 76, is to be extradicted. Source: Andrew Chant Pictures

It is believed that British police wish to question the 76-year-old regarding ­pedophile gangs operating in the Algarve region of Portugal in 2007, the year three-year-old Madeleine disappeared from her family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz.

Earlier this year, The Sunday Mirror revealed that police were attempting to locate McDonald at the time, after they had heard claims he was based on the Algarve back in 2007.

The British girls' mother, Kate McCann said it was "unbelievable" that police had failed to quiz the convicted pedophile over Madeleine's disappearance.

"The police knew he was in Portugal around the time she vanished, but let him slip through their fingers", she said.

"They told me they would monitor him. When he fled they didn’t bother telling me. I'm so angry he has been allowed to go on the run."

Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann. Source: Gtty Images
Madeleine's mother, Kate McCann. Source: Gtty Images

Officers on the Maltese island of Gozo swooped on McDonald, responding to an international arrest warrant for the pedophile, who was previously known as Roderick William Robinson.

He absconded from the UK after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a girl under 13 and failed to inform authorities of his change of name and address, and his intention of going overseas.

Police are investigating 18 separate reported break-ins at Algarve villas by an intruder between 2004 and 2010.

The attacks reportedly stopped at around the time McDonald was deported to Australia.

He was handed a six month sentence on a plea deal for the sexual assault but, after he was freed, fled to Thailand.

Morning news break - October 15