THE mum of a boy who was groomed by a dangerous paedophile has labelled him a “manipulative sicko” after he was jailed for seven years.

Colin Young was handed a seven-year extended sentence during a hearing at Winchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to four charges relating to the grooming of a 12-year-old boy.

The 54-year-old was also given an 18-month concurrent term for the breach of his sexual prevention order handed to him for similar offences committed in 2008 and 2013.

Young, who met his victim in August last year through an Xbox games console, was given a four-year sentence for manipulating the boy into sending indecent images and performing perverse sexual acts.

He was also slapped with a three-year extension to his sentence after Judge Andrew Barnett deemed him as a “danger to the public”.

Following the hearing, the victim’s mother, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: “I think you tend to think you are safe because you are in your own home and you just don’t think something like this would happen to you – But in our case it did.

“We were always careful.

We made our son play his Xbox downstairs in a communal room and we took his phone away from him at night.

“But he still got through to him, it just proves how manipulative these kind of people are.”

The extent of Young’s manipulation over the boy was only discovered when his mother uncovered the messages on her son’s phone.

She says the predator was preparing to meet her son two days before she reported him to the police, who quickly arrested Young.

Asked how she felt about him, she told this paper: “I wanted to look at him in the face in court to show him that he had not broken us and that we will carry on strong as a family.

“I want him to know that we will protect our son to the last.

“He is extremely dangerous and although I would like to have seen locked up for longer, seven years is still a good sentence.”

Asked about what advice she would give to parents, she said: “Be aware of who your children are talking to and don’t let them invite strangers to their games.

“Never underestimate how clever sickos like this are - they are very manipulative.”

At the sentencing Judge Barnett was told how Young, who has been held in custody since his first appearance in court, originally met his victim through an Xbox games console.

The 54-year-old contacted the boy through the Xbox messaging service and began talking to him about a game they had both been playing.

The two soon began talking through a microphone headset where Young began to turn the conversation towards his perverted intentions.

Eventually Young obtained the boy’s mobile number and began sending him graphic images through the messaging service Whatsapp.

Young later coerced his victim into sending indecent images of himself.

Prosecutor Dawn Hyland explained to the court how the messages became “increasingly explicit” and that Young would send a picture of himself and pester the boy until he would send one back.

When police caught him he had sent 20 images and 15 videos of himself to his victim.

However the count that earned Young his seven-year sentence occurred when he manipulated his victim into performing perverse sexual acts.

Defending, Adrienne Knight claimed Young should not be classed as dangerous as he had “not actually touched” the boy.

She told the court: “The first thing to mention is that he has never touched a child.

“It is difficult with someone who thinks like he does because that is the way he was born.

“But he has reached the age of 53 and has not actually touched a boy.

“He has shown that he knows he has a problem. He describes it as a monster in his head.”

Miss Knight added that Young’s problems had started from the age of 11 when he was raped but that he had tried to live a normal life and still had a “good relationship” with his two sons.

However Judge Barnett disagreed, imposing a four-year sentence for a count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and slapping an extra additional three years due to his “danger to the public”.

He said: “The seriousness of your crimes are underlined by your previous history.

“Your breach of your sexual prevention order causes me increased concern particularly when I read the impact statement provided by the boy’s mother.

“You must understand that I have to consider the public and their safety in this case - I do consider you a danger to the public.

“It seems to me that there is a significant risk of serious harm by the possibility of future offences.”

Danehurst Place resident Young, who showed little sign of remorse during the hearing, was told he will not be allowed release at the half-way point of his sentence.