A DANGEROUS man who had sex with a teenage runaway has been jailed.

Ryan Bufton, 29, formerly of Accrington admitted engaging in sexual activity with the 15-year-old after drinking with her in a woodland area.

Sentencing, Judge Sara Dodd said Bufton, of HMP Durham, was a danger to young girls as she handed him a 40 month prison sentence with an extra three years on licence.

Preston Crown Court heard Bufton met the schoolgirl when she had run away from home in September.

The youngster was taken home by police, but Bufton went to her house, and the pair left together.

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They drank alcohol together and had ‘consensual’ sex - although the girl was below the legal age of consent, the court heard.

Bufton was arrested and pleaded guilty to sexual activity with a female child aged under 16.

The court heard he has previous convictions for sex offences, dating back to his own teenage years.

Judge Dodd said: “You were a much younger man at the time of the commission of these offences. The last breach of any sexual order was 10 years ago.

“However you were a mature man when you committed these offences. You were 28. Even at that age you did not have the ability to recognise that having intercourse with a girl, who was aged 15, was wrong.

“It seems to me that until that deficiency in your thinking is addressed you remain a danger of causing serious harm to young girls by the commission of specified sexual offences.

“In my judgement I would be failing in my public duty if I didn’t pass an extended sentence.”

Bufton displayed no emotion throughout the sentencing hearing.

But after Judge Dodd handed down his sentence he refused to leave the dock.