A DANGEROUS paedophile has been jailed indefinitely after a Judge accused him of casting a dreadful shadow over the childhood of his young victims.

Leslie Bennett wss told that he will only be released when he is deemed to be no longer a risk.

He will have to serve at least eight years behind bars before his case is possibly considered by the parole board.

Bennett, 64, of Ottershaw Gardens, Blackburn, pleaded guilty to a total of sixteen offences against a total of four girls.

The charges included rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, sexual activity with a child, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and also indecency with a child.

The offences dated back 30 years.

His not guilty pleas to a number of other charges were accepted by the Crown during an earlier hearing at Preston Crown Court.

Judge Christopher Cornwall told Bennett: "I can't begin to calculate the harm you have done."

He added: "You denied them their humanity, you treated them as vehicles of your own sexual pleasure."

The court heard that Bennett had been diagnosed with a personality disorder and pseudo neurotic paedophilia and was deemed to be a dangerous offender and a risk of causing serious harm to others.

Judge Cornwall said that for public protection, he had no alternative but to impose an indefinite sentence for the offending which he described as "desperately serious."

Jeremy Lasker, prosecuting, told the court the abuse dated back to the 1970's. Two of the girls were given alcohol as Bennett wanted sexual favours Bennett got another of his victims to watch pornography and she was sexually abused.

Philip Curran, defending, said Bennett had pleaded guilty and was anxious to ensure that there would never be a trial. "He is anxious whilst in custody he does everything he can to ensure that he will not be a danger."

He was placed on the sex offenders register for life, and banned from contact with under 16's.