Washington, Feb 22 (IANS): Milo Yiannopoulos, a senior editor at a conservative website, has resigned and apologised after an uproar over comments that appeared to condone paedophilia.

Yiannopoulos on Tuesday said he was quitting immediately because his "poor choice of words" was detracting from his colleagues' work, the BBC reported.

The editor had already lost a book deal and a speaking engagement over the controversy.

Yiannopoulos in few videos was shown discussing the merits of gay relationships between adults and boys, but the tech editor denied he had endorsed child abuse.

He said one video had been edited to give a misleading impression.

"I would like to restate my utter disgust at adults who sexually abuse minors," the 32-year-old wrote in his resignation statement.

He explained that he had been referring to his own experiences as a victim of child sexual abuse.

He said two men, including a priest, had touched him inappropriately when he was in his young teens.

"I haven't ever apologised before, and I don't intend on ever doing it again," the hero of the "alt-right movement" told the media.

"To be a victim of child abuse and at the same time be accused of being an apologist for child abuse is absurd."

But the editor's statement came too late to save him from being axed in the line-up at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland.

The organising group, the American Conservative Union, said his response had been "insufficient".

Publisher Simon and Schuster also cancelled his forthcoming book "Dangerous".

During his press conference he claimed to have received interest from other publishers, and vowed to set aside 10 per cent of the book's profits to donate to charities that support victims of child sex abuse.

The British writer appears to thrive on controversy and is accused of being a peddler of hate speech.

Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter after provoking online harassment of a black actress, Leslie Jones, from the Ghostbusters remake.

He has also been widely criticised for comments about feminists, transgender people, Muslims and Black Lives Matter protesters.

The University of Berkeley in California earlier this month cancelled a talk by Yiannopoulos, following violent protests.

Former Breitbart executive chairman Steve Bannon, now a key White House adviser, hired the Greek-born three years ago.