Green party leader Natalie Bennett has been forced to distance herself from a bizarre online site run by her boyfriend.

Jim Jepps used a blog called The Daily Maybe to defend 'rape fantasies', describe paedophiles as 'complex human beings' and question why teachers who have relationships with pupils are put on the sex offenders register.

The couple met five years ago when Ms Bennett contacted him to correct something he had written about her, but now the Green party stresses they do not 'want to be associated' with his internet rants.

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Green party leader Natalie Bennett has distanced herself from the bizarre blog posts of her boyfriend Jim Jepps, insisting he is a 'private individual not involved in party politics'

Ms Bennett's profile has soared in recent months, buoyed by rising poll ratings and Green party membership in England passing 60,000 for the first time.

However, little is known about her private life, in contrast to the spouses of David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg who have been frequently seen on the campaign trail.

Ms Bennett has been dating Mr Jepps for five years, after meeting online. He continued blogging on the Daily Maybe site until 2011.

He quit the Socialist Workers Party in around 2003 and later joined the Greens.

Bizarrely, he left the party in 2012, the year Ms Bennett replaced the more high-profile Caroline Lucas as Green leader.

Either I'm hopelessly jaded, or getting depraved and corrupted is a lot duller than I remember Jim Jepps blog post

On his website, Mr Jepps appears to have deliberately courted controversy with a series of controversial blog posts, often related to sex, rape or paedophiles.

In one post, seen by MailOnline, he joked that gay sex is not a sin 'unless you do it really well or claim it on expenses'.

In 2007, he tackled a news story about demands for music books written by a paedophile to be withdrawn, because the recorder lessons were used to groom victims.

Mr Jepps wrote: 'We can burn these books as a public statement against the author (who is in jail for his crimes) or try to understand that whatever monstrous acts individuals commit they are still complex human beings for all that.

'Good, evil, interesting and banal by turns - not devils who can taint everything they touch with evil.'

He also dismissed a case in which a blogger was charged with obscenity for writing an article imagining the kidnap and murder of the pop group Girls Aloud.

'Either I'm hopelessly jaded or getting depraved and corrupted is a lot duller than I remember… Personally I didn't find it that shocking.'

Mr Jepps quit the Green party in 2012, the same year Ms Bennett became leader after replacing Caroline Lucas (left)

According to the Sunday Mirror another posting included: 'New Poll: Sex with pupils - good idea/bad idea? Personally I'm ambivalent and would appreciate any guidance.

'It seems to me the sex offenders register is a sledgehammer to crack a nut sometimes. When you have a teacher who kissed a 17-year-old placed on the same register as Gary Glitter it does make you wonder how useful the list is, no matter how creepy that teacher might be.'

Jim is a private individual not involved in party politics Natalie Bennett

Another post entitled 'Even monsters have feelings' is said to have covered the case of Austrian schoolgirl Natascha Kampusch, who was kidnapped aged 10 by Wolfgang Přiklopil and held in a cellar for

Mr Jepps wrote: 'These are two people who had a long term and human relationship.'

Ms Bennett and Mr Jepp reportedly share a flat she bought for £249,950 in 2007 in North London.

Last night the Green Party distanced itself from Mr Jepp's remarks.

A spokesman said: 'The Daily Maybe was a personal blog written by Mr Jepps until 2011.

'The party does not endorse the views expressed and would not want to be associated with them. Jim Jepps has not been a member of the party since 2012.'