A DANGEROUS sex offender is back behind bars after she abused a youngster for the third time.

Jacinta Brooks sent dozens of sexually explicit messages to a 12-year-old girl, telling her to send indecent, nude images of herself for the 41-year-old’s sexual gratification.

Brooks, who was formerly called Duncan Smart but now lives as a woman, was described by the victim’s mother as a “pathetic excuse” who left her daughter “haunted” by her disturbing behaviour.

It was the third time Brooks had attacked a child under the age of 16, after having unlawful sex with a girl and indecently assaulting another.

Jailing Brooks for a minimum of 11-years, Judge Nicholas Rowland said Brooks was “a danger to children”.

Southampton Crown Court heard Brooks’ was bought to justice after officers investigating a different sexual allegation seized devices from her home.

Berenice Mulvanny, prosecuting, told the court Brooks had deleted messages, but captured screenshots of parts of the conversation.

This led to Hampshire Constabulary unearthing further communications, as well as sexually explicit images of the victim.

Miss Mulvanny said: “Brooks knew the girl was underage but sent her sexual messages. The defendant originally pretended to be a 14-year-old boy but soon admitted [her] real age.”

When Brooks was interviewed by officers she gave answered no comment except saying she “couldn’t argue” about being attracted to children.

Further searches on her devices also found her to be in possession of hundreds of indecent images of children, ranging between the most and least serious categories.

In a victim impact statement, the victim’s mother – who cannot be identified for legal reasons – said: “The fact that I cannot protect my daughter from this pathetic excuse of a [person] will haunt me forever.”

She added that her daughter had been forced to leave her school and had suffered terrible trauma as a result of the incident.

Brooks was released in 2016 after serving more than 10 years in prison and in an institution after she attacked a child in 2003.

Mitigating, Robert Harding said that because technology had changed so much in the past 15-years, Brooks had struggled to understand social media and online networking.

As part of her sentence, a sexual harm prevention order was made, with the requirement that should Brooks ever make an online social media account or email address all details and passwords must be handed to the police before they are created.

PC Leon Simon, said: “Brooks is a dangerous individual and we are pleased this case has now come to a conclusion.”

Brooks, of HMP Winchester, pleaded guilty to three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and three counts of possessing indecent images. She was jailed for six years, extended by five years.