A convicted child molester was sentenced this month to five years in prison for molesting a teenage boy.

Gregory H. Bass, 49, pleaded guilty in Whatcom County Superior Court to one count of third-degree child molestation.

Bass was arrested this spring after a teenage boy reported that Bass had touched the boy's penis and engaged in sexual behavior with him several times at Bass' Bellingham home, according to court documents.

When Bass learned that the boy was reporting him, he went to the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office to talk to a detective about the allegations. Bass admitted to touching the boy sexually when the boy was younger than 16 and said that he let the boy drink alcohol at his home.

Investigators later met with a 10-year-old boy who said that Bass asked him questions about his genitals that made him uncomfortable while he was visiting Bass' home. On a later visit, Bass had the boy sit on his lap and told the boy to keep their conversation a secret or they'd be in trouble, according to court documents.

Bass has a 2001 conviction for two counts of first-degree child molestation for sexually touching two boys younger than 10 over a period of several years. Bass was given a special sex offender sentencing alternative for his first conviction. For his most recent offense, he received an exceptional sentence beyond the top end of the standard range for the charge.

Reach ZOE FRALEY at zoe.fraley@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-756-2803.