A teenager has been locked up for public protection after a judge branded him a danger to young girls.

Johnathan Culwick was on bail for having under-age sex with a girl when he offended again.

Then aged 17, he met the girl when she was 13 at a fairground in 2015 and then groomed her with texts and Facebook messages, Maidstone Crown Court heard.

He had been arrested three months earlier for having under-age sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Culwick, who sentenced to 13 months youth custody in July last year, has now been given an extended sentence of four years with a further three years on licence.

Judge Adele Williams imposed the term after finding Culwick, of posed “a substantial risk” to other teenage girls.

She told him: “The mischief of your offending is you sought out this young girl by grooming her with messages and then you engaged in sexual activity with her.

“She was not ready. She was not mature enough to deal with it and you caused her great distress as a result.

“You simply don’t understand why what you have done is so wrong and I conclude that you pose a significant risk of serious harm to young female children.”

Culwick, now 19, who was said to suffer from personality disorders and ADHD, admitted two offences of sexual activity with a child.

"You simply don’t understand why what you have done is so wrong and I conclude that you pose a significant risk of serious harm to young female children" - Judge Adele Williams

He will have to serve two thirds of the sentence before the parole board will consider his release.

Ian Dear, defending, said Culwick had an appalling childhood with an abusive father and spending time in care. He was repeatedly excluded from school.

He believed his mother died when he was just two years old, only to be reunited with her when she eventually tracked him down using Facebook.

They were reunited while Culwick was on remand in prison.

“He is a very immature young man and this has been something of an emotional exocet for him,” said Mr Dear.

“His mother has assured him that once he comes out, he will have a home with her and her partner.”

Culwick’s name will appear on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely and he will be barred from working with children and vulnerable adults.