A DANCE teacher has been found guilty of sexual activity with five underage girls.

Edwin Dillon, 23, of Nelson Street, Clitheroe, broke down in tears in the dock after being convicted by a jury.

He was found guilty of 10 counts of sexual activity with under-age girls between 2008 and 2009.

Dillon held his head in his hands and sobbed as the foreman read out each of the unanimous verdicts after just 90 minutes of deliberation.

The charges relate to five Blackburn girls who were in Preston Crown Court to hear the verdicts after a nine-day trial.

Dillon's girlfriend Jade Walsh, 18, collapsed in tears in the public gallery and had to be led away.

Judge Michael Byrne remanded Dillon in custody and told him he needed 'some professional help'.

He said he was denying bail 'for a variety of reasons, not least for your own welfare', because he feared Dillon would not turn up for sentencing on October 14.

Dillon was told to sign the Sex Offender's Register immediately, but shook his head and refused as he was led away.

He could be heard protesting his innocence from the cells as Judge Byrne thanked the jury.

The jury had been told that the self-confessed 'puppet-master' revelled in the fact that young, impressionable children described him as 'good-looking', 'fit' and 'charming'.

He exploited their interest with suggestive text messages, luring them into sexual relationships.

Dillon would sign off his text messages to his victims 'Love Teddy Eddie', showering the under-age girls with compliments and telling one girl that she 'looked sexy tonight'.

One witness described Dillon as being able to 'persuade people into things he wanted them to do' and that he 'had answers for everything'.

He was arrested on January 12 by officers investigating allegations of sexual activity with under age girls.

Dillon insisted that any physical relationship had started only after the girls' 16th birthdays or in other cases, that there was no sexual relationship at all.

The investigation was led by the award-winning joint police and council partnership Engage team, which tackles the problem of vulnerable girls being groomed for sex by older men.

Following the case, Detective Constable Dave Dutton, described how inquiries into one of the girls who was reported as repeatedly 'missing from home' led them to unravelling Dillon's behaviour.

He said: “This is a case were Dillon has groomed these girls into a sexual relationship with him.

"Specialist officers worked with the first girl and it takes a lot of time to build trust and rapport to reach an eventual disclosure. Missing from home reports are a key risk indicator for us.

“We followed her information on Dillon which led us to the others, who spoke out.

“They have shown fantastic courage to come to court and give evidence against him in difficult circumstances in such a complex inquiry."

DC Dutton said the girls had become 'infatuated' by Dillion.

He said: "He would compliment them at every opportunity, usually when they were alone as part of his clandestine manipulation of their every move.

“He liked to be idolised and put on a pedestal.

"They were of a young age and not able to see what he was doing.”

The court was told dancing was Dillon's passion. He started three years ago and was said to have reached a level of ability where he was able to teach others.

Dillon will now be subject to a pre-sentence report and psychological tests before sentencing.

Judge Byrne warned him he now faces a 'substantial period in custody'.