A convicted pervert who a court heard wants to travel to other countries to have sex with children has lost an appeal restricting his movements abroad.

Jason Leonard, from Haslingden, has been described by police bosses at a court hearing as ‘one of the most dangerous’ registered sex offenders in the region.

The 37-year-old brazenly admitted to wanting the freedom to travel to a country where the age of consent is lower so he could form a sexual relationship, the court heard.

Police told the hearing Leonard had told them his ‘ideal’ partner, would be aged between 12 and 14, Burnley Crown Court was told.

A judge heard that Leonard claims paedophiles in the UK are being ‘persecuted’ and likens his treatment by society to that of ‘homosexuals 40 years ago’.

However, after losing a court appeal, he will now only be granted permission to travel abroad if he has written permission from a police chief constable.

Leonard was jailed for 32 months in 2013 after downloading 251 indecent images of children and then sharing them on the internet.

Detective Constable Andrew Ashworth, who manages more than 90 registered sex offenders in Lancashire, told the Crown Court hearing that Leonard is ‘one of the most dangerous offenders I have met’ and that he posed an ‘exceptional risk’.

Mr Leonard has expressed his desire to leave the country because he believes the police, judiciary and government in this country are persecuting paedophiles.

“He is very vocal and adamant about this persecution.

“He likens it to the persecution of homosexuals 40 years ago.

“He believes that in the fullness of time paedophilia will be accepted in the same way that homosexuality is today.

"He has expressed a desire to move to other European countries. He has talked about the Netherlands, France, Spain and Italy because he believes they have a lower age of consent in the mid to low teens.”

When DC Ashworth asked Leonard in March this year what age is too young for sexual activity he replied ‘if a child is old enough to talk it’s old enough to have sex’, the court was told, and that when Leonard was asked about his views on rape he replied ‘no comment’.

"Leonard] has accepted that his mother, who he has a close connection with, is a factor in holding him back as to his sexual lifestyle.

“He has indicated that when she dies, and she is an elderly woman in her 80s, he will go abroad to seek children. For me the only pro-social influence in his life at the moment is his mother and that’s purely because she is alive.”

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