A children's charity has condemned the sentencing policy of an Oxford judge as "disturbing", after a second sentence in a child sex case he heard was referred to the Appeal Court.

In January, Judge Julian Hall, sitting at Oxford Crown Court, imposed a three-year supervision order on a 17-year-old youth who abused two young children.

The judge said he had not jailed him because he did not believe him to be sufficiently dangerous.

Originally from Berinsfield, it is believed the youth now lives in Oxford.

Vera Baird, the Solicitor General, confirmed on Good Friday that the sentence had been referred to appeal judges. A spokesman for Ms Baird said an interested party had asked for the sentence to be reviewed.

She said: "This case was referred to us and we have decided that it merits being referred on to the Court of Appeal. We're currently waiting for a hearing date."

Judge Hall caused outrage last June by jailing for just two years an Oxford man who raped a girl of 10.

The Appeal Court later doubled the sentence imposed on window cleaner Keith Fenn, 24, from Blackbird Leys.

Claude Knights, director of charity Kidscape, said of the latest case: "It's another disturbing judgement.

"We're quite worried about Judge Julian Hall. We now have a second child sex offence case involving a judge who has made some very disturbing decisions."

She added that the judge had made inappropriate remarks about young victims, and the charity - set up to prevent child sex abuse and bullying - was concerned about his approach.