A SEX offender raped a girl and took part in other regular sexual activity with both her and a friend in his car.

Paul McGlinchey picked up the girls, who he met through social media, and took them to a picnic area car park in County Durham where the offences took place.

The girls, who knew him as ‘Chipmunk’, agreed to go along after being offered cigarettes, alcohol and other gifts by McGlinchey as a bribe.

Durham Crown Court heard that the offending took place while the defendant was subject to indefinite restrictions under a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) forbidding contact with underage girls or communication via social media.

The order was issued in June 2014, when McGlinchey was jailed for 30-months for downloading and distributing thousands of indecent images of children.

It was during the investigation of his renewed online activity that his phones and other devices were examined, revealing his communication with the two underage girls.

McGlinchey, 36, formerly from Washington, but now of no fixed abode, was arrested last December but made no comment when interviewed.

Appearing at the court last month he admitted rape of a girl under 13 and two charges of sexual activity with a child, both in breach of the SHPO, for which he admitted a further two counts.

At the sentencing hearing he also admitted two charges of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation, plus five further offences relating to indecent images of children and other material on his seized devices.

The court heard of the deep psychological harm his offending caused both victims, who have both self-harmed, one now being in the care of a sexual exploitation centre.

Shaun Routledge, for McGlinchey, said he intends to take advantage of programmes in prison to address his offending.

“He’s an intelligent individual with a degree and who worked in IT before his conviction in 2014.

“He’s extremely sorry for what he did and understands the impact on his victims.

“At the time he did not give it consideration, but by his pleas, he now does.”

Mr Justice Lavender told the defendant: “Your conduct has had a troubling effect on both girls, each of whom has taken an overdose, as has one of their mothers.”

As he considers McGlinchey poses a “significant risk” of serious harm by commission of further offences he imposed a 12-year extended determinate sentence, with four-year licence period.

McGlinchey, who remains subject of lifetime registration as a sex offender and the SHPO, must serve at least eight years of the custodial sentence before he can be considered for release by the Parole Board and may have to serve the full 12 years.