A predatory convicted paedophile with an obsession with young girls has gone on the run after vanishing from a psychiatric unit . Stephen Munden , 54 , described as having a 'fanatical obsession ' with small girls after he targeted a toddler on a bus , has been missing since 6.15pm on Tuesday and was last seen leaving a hospital , near Hook , Hampshire . Now officers have launched a manhunt to find Munden - who was detained under the Mental Health Act after sexually touching the three-year-old girl . A predatory convicted paedophile with an obsession with young girls has gone on the run after vanishing from a psychiatric unit . Stephen Munden , 54 , ( pictured with and without a beard ) was last seen leaving a hospital , near Hook , Hampshire . He is described as about 5ft 8ins tall , of a heavy build , and has dark hair . Officers said they believed that Munden , who suffers from learning difficulties , may have shaved off his beard before leaving the hospital in Winchfield and have released images of him with both facial hair and a clean shave . He was detained at the private facility under a hospital order following his sentence last August for sexual offences . Munden was convicted of sexually touching a child under the age of 13 . A court heard he deliberately sat near a three-year-old girl and stroked her hand with his finger - in full view of the child 's mother and grandmother . Munden , formerly of Marchwood , near Southampton , denied the offence , claiming it was accidental when he appeared at Southampton Crown Court . During the sentencing David Jenkins , prosecuting , told Judge Peter Henry that the defendant had admitted ten unrelated offences of possessing or attempting to possess indecent images of children . The court heard he had been arrested after using one of the public computers at Hythe library in an attempt to download images . Mr Jenkins said children 's clothes , books and dolls were found at Munden 's home and added : 'He has a fanatical obsession with young girls . ' A court heard he deliberately sat near a three-year-old girl and stroked her hand with his finger - in full view of the child 's mother and grandmother . Munden , formerly of Marchwood , near Southampton , denied the offence , claiming it was accidental when he appeared at Southampton Crown Court . Consultant physiatrist John O'Shea said the defendant was autistic and also suffered from mild learning difficulties . He added that Munden had difficulty controlling his sexual interest in small children but the girl on the bus was probably unaware of his intentions . Keely Harvey , in mitigation , said : 'He did not accept that he deliberately touched the child 's hand . ' But the judge said 'the move from non-contact offences to a contact offence is significant ' and he was made the subject of a hospital order . Detective Chief Inspector Tim Rowlandson said : 'We are extremely keen to hear from anyone who has seen this man since yesterday evening or knows where he might be . 'Mr Munden is subject to a hospital order after being convicted and sentenced for sexual offences and also suffers from learning difficulties , so we need to know where he is as a matter of urgency . '
Stephen Munden , three-year-old , has absconded from hospital , near Hook , Hampshire . He was described as having a 'fanatical obsession ' with small girls . Munden was convicted of sexually touching a child under the age of 13 . The sex offender may have shaved off his thick beard , police say .