A DANGEROUS child rapist tried to groom another underage victim on Snapchat until he was stopped by the girl's mum.

Thomas Leedham was living in a bail hostel in Ombersley Road, Worcester when he groomed the girl. The 24-year-old admitted attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sexual offence and breach of a sexual offences prevention order (SOPO) and was jailed at Worcester Crown yesterday.

The SOPO was made on August 19, 2013 when he was jailed for nine years for raping a 12-year-old girl in a tent and making indecent images of children.

He was released from prison on January 2 this year only to contact another 12-year-old girl on Snapchat between March 10 and 12 this year. The girl told him she was 15.

Simon Phillips, prosecuting, said the defendant told her: "It doesn't matter how old you are."

Leedham offered to pay for her to come and visit him and made sexual comments about what he would like to do to her.

"He told her not to tell anyone about this conversation because, as he put it, big problems would happen" said Mr Phillips.

The girl's mum checked her mobile phone, found Leedham's messages and called him before any sexual activity took place. Mr Phillips said: "She spoke to Mr Leedham who she describes as being arrogant on the other end of the phone. She told him he was a paedophile and he rang off and suggested he thought she was 15 and that justified his actions."

Leedham was tracked down and interviewed, answering 'no comment' to all police questions.

Jason Aris, defending, accepted the criteria for dangerousness were met and said his client suffered from borderline personality disorder. Mr Aris said: "His main mitigation is that he pleaded guilty to both offences at an early opportunity and hasn't wasted the court's time."

He said Leedham had been bullied at school 'repeatedly' and it was likely he would become institutionalised in prison. After reading expert reports Judge Jim Tindal said: "It's beyond question that Mr Leedham is dangerous."

He told the defendant: "Mr Leedham, this is not only a very troubling case, you are a very troubling young man. The reality of the situation is that you are a huge risk to young children."

He said the rape of the child in 2013 had started with the same online grooming as in the more recent case. The judge handed Leedham an extended four year jail sentence. He will only be entitled to apply for release after serving two thirds of his sentence.

A sexual harm prevention order was also made. Leedham is already on the sex offender register for life.