A SEX offender from Hereford who twice groped an underage teenage girl and told her she had a ‘smoking hot’ body is now behind bars.

Simon Boon admitted two counts of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl and breach of a sexual harm prevention order designed to protect children.

The 39-year-old former delivery driver of Nicholson Court, Bobblestock, had already pleaded guilty to the offences when he was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court last week.

The offences took place in August last year when Boon was already undergoing community group work to address his sexual interest in children.

Siobhan Collins, prosecuting, said the victim had shown 'no interest in him' and had become concerned about the defendant's behaviour towards her, including an attempt to give her £90 'spending money'.

The court heard how Boon saw the girl wearing a cropped shirt and 'teased her about putting on weight' on holiday before he touched her stomach.

Miss Collins said: "He put his arms around her and leaned in and she told him 'no'."

The girl later told her family what Boon had done and he was confronted by her father who told him to 'stay away from her'.

Boon also approached a friend of the girl and said he needed to apologise to her.

"He said before her holiday she had been smoking hot with abs then she had come back and put on weight" said Miss Collins.

Boon also attached a note to the front of her house last September but this was intercepted by the girl's mother who took it to the police.

"He said he was sorry for what he had said and done, describing his actions as rude and unfair. He said he should be publicly flogged for his disgusting displays" said Miss Collins.

His contact with the girl was in breach of a sexual harm prevention order which was made on October 14, 2016 which prohibited him from having contact with a child under 16. He was also subject to a three year community order made on September 22, 2016 for making indecent images of children and for possession of extreme pornography.

Boon was arrested at his home on September 7 last year for touching the girl. Cannabis was also seized.

The defendant was taken to Hereford Police Station where he told officers he knew she was only 15.

Miss Collins added: "In terms of the offence he said he had walked his fingers across her stomach twice in a moment of madness and then went to give her a hug."

Edmund Middleton, defending, said the overall matter of the breach was persistent rather than being serious.

He said: "We see an offender who has a palpable sense of shame at his behaviour.

"There's strong personal mitigation in the form of his genuine remorse."

The defendant's mother had travelled over from Spain to support him in court.

Judge Jim Tindal said: "You are a man now approaching middle age and from everything I have read it would appear that you have led an isolated existence.

"You lead a solitary life and you have found yourself over the last few years entering what is quite a dark world."

He added: "In my judgement it was certainly a deliberate breach, arguably a persistent or very serious bridge."

The judge gave him full credit for his guilty plea.

However, he said the offences were committed while Boon was being supported by probation to address 'precisely this sort of incident' and this meant that his actions 'can only be considered as an escalation in your offending'.

The judge jailed him for 16 months and extended the sexual harm prevention order to run for 10 years. The notification requirements will also apply for 10 years.