Police arrest high-risk sex offender in North Melbourne

A Melbourne high-risk registered sex offender has been arrested after failing to report to authorities.  

Police issued an alert for public help to track down Magot Machol, 27, who is considered dangerous and had not reported to police since being released from jail in September.

Machol was arrested this afternoon at flats in Canning Street, in the city’s north.

He is now in custody at Footscray Police Station, and will face the Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon.

Machol, who also goes under the name of Makout Akot, was seen at a Pakenham shopping centre on Sunday.

"He's got violence in his prior convictions and sexual-related offences exacerbated by alcohol and we rate him as a high-risk offender," Superintendent Lauren Callaway told reporters.

"He has an obligation to tell us where he lives, the car he drives and any contact he may have with someone under the age of 18."

Supt Callaway said Machol had committed acts of violence in the past, mostly against those known to him.

He has been convicted over a sex offence committed in New South Wales in 2011 against a teenage girl known to him.

Machol did contact police by phone in October, but hadn't been heard from since and is required to make contact in person.

With AAP.