Sex offender targeted 11-year-old girl on Snapchat.

A "dangerous" and "manipulative" convicted sex offender, Steven Bennett, targeted an 11-year-old girl with highly sexualized messages on Snapchat just weeks after his release from prison.

Bennett, 42, admitted to engaging in sexual communication with a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order.

The girl's mother discovered the messages by chance and alerted the police. Bennett had tried to get the girl to add him on Snapchat and she had sent him an intimate video of herself.

The mother described Bennett as a "predator" who took advantage of her daughter's insecurities. She said, "This would not have happened if this disgusting paedophile had not been released from prison early."

Bennett had previously been branded a dangerous offender and had served a six-year sentence for sexual offenses. He was released from prison on October 31, 2022, and was living in a Hull bail hostel.

In court, Bennett admitted to his crimes. He was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison and will be on extended license for three years after his release.