A ‘DANGEROUS’ sex offender from Worcester attempted to arrange sex with a 12-year-old girl after grooming her on Snapchat.

Worcester Crown Court heard Thomas Leedham, aged 24, had contacted the girl via the popular social media app, which lets users share photos and videos instantly.

The 'snaps' are only available for online friends to see for a limited time.

He is accused of asking the girl to perform a sex act upon him.

Leedham, of Ombersley Road, Worcester, was formally arraigned by the clerk of the court, admitting attempting to arrange/facilitate the commission of a child sexual offence between March 10 and March 12 this year.

The inciting offence involved a child under the age of 16 (12 years) and placed him in breach of a sexual offences prevention order imposed on August 19, 2013.

He also admitted breaching the terms of the sexual offences prevention order when he appeared in court via videolink from HMP Hewell on Monday.

Leedham was jailed for nine years in August 2013 for sexual offences but had been released and was subject to licence conditions.

Jason Aris, for Leedham, said his client had now been recalled to custody and would not be released from prison until 2022.

Judge Jim Tindal said: “The question of dangerousness arises. In my opinion this man is dangerous. There’s a degree of grooming.”

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said the defendant had asked the girl to perform a sex act upon him.

He added: “He believed she was 15.

"She tells him she is 15.

"She was 12 at the time of the offence. He requests pictures of her.

"She is reluctant to do that.”

Mr Lester said the sentencing guidelines suggested a starting point of two years and a range of one to four years in custody but that was before aggravating features were taken into consideration.

The judge adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared by the probation service, reserving the sentence to himself.

The case will be heard again in three weeks.