A dangerous criminal with a distinctive cheek tattoo is on the run from police in Melbourne after trying to run down an officer.
Joel Paul Pregnell, 37, is a registered sex offender who was convicted of serious offences including rape.
He was interviewed on January 11 as part of his release conditions and gave false information about where he was living.
Police tried to arrest him at Black Rock on January 24 where he was discovered driving a stolen car.
But Pregnell drove at an officer who had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.
He was also seen in the Hampton area on Thursday.
"Mr Pregnell was convicted back in 2007 of serious sex offences, including the offence of rape against a 16-year-old, and once he was released from prison he was put on the sex offender register for a period of 15 years," Acting Commander Neil Paterson of Victoria Police said.
"He is considered dangerous, has an extensive criminal history for offences of violence, dishonesty, traffic offences."
Police said he was known to frequent the St Kilda, Frankston, Bayside and Mornington Peninsula areas.
He was last seen in a Black Suzuki Swift which was stolen from St Kilda.
Pregnell has a slim build, is unshaven and has a distinctive cross tattoo across his right cheek.
Anyone who sees him is advised to call triple zero for what Acting Commander Paterson called "an emergency police response".
