Still on the hunt for Vic sex offender

Police have stepped up efforts to find a registered sex offender after finding the tracking bracelet he removed at a town northeast of Melbourne.

Christopher Empey, 46, spent more than a decade in prison for the violent rape of a woman in Melbourne and must wear the GPS device as part of his conditional release into the community.

"Police have increased patrols in and around the Mansfield area," police said on Monday, after launching an appeal to find Empey before the weekend.