Court hears man sent sexually explicit messages to what he thought was 13-year-old
A pervert who tried to have online sex chat with an underage schoolgirl was snared during a covert police sting.
Andrew Ingram, 51, asked the teen profile for explicit photos, encouraged her to perform sexual acts, and said he wanted to meet up in person.
However, Newcastle Crown Court heard an officer from the Metropolitan Police, who had set up to the fake profile to catch sex offenders, was behind the conversation and no real girl was involved.
Laura Miller, prosecuting, told the court that Ingram had began chatting to the fake profile of the 13-year-old, who said she was in London, via the online site Kik.
Ingram adopted the username 'deviant dude' and was told from the outset of the female's age before the conversations later progressed to Snapchat.
Miss Miller said the defendant asked if she was really 13 to which she responded Y?, meaning "yeah, you?"
Miss Miller told the court: "That conversation was on the 25th of August and on the 26th of August a further conversation took place via Kik private messenger.
"Dude told her he had been to see a friend for some fun which he explained was sex.
"He asked her whether she had a boyfriend. When she confirmed she didn't he asked whether she had been with an older guy."
However, the court heard that the conversations turned sexual which included the defendant asking for images of the child in her school uniform and speaking about masturbation techniques.
He also discussed meeting up in a van so they could drive around together and indicated he wanted to see her in the shower.
Ingram, now of Brewster Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, was eventually arrested and when asked if he would have met with the girl if she lived in Newcastle for sexual activity, he responded:"Possibly yes."
Two mobile devices were seized which were found to contain illegal images and videos of children in category A, B and C.
He pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity, attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, and three counts of possessing indecent images of children.
Judge Nathan Adams sentenced him to 32 months behind bars.
The judge told him: "It was persistent multiple messages over the course of that period incited by you and you quickly turned matters to a sexual nature."
He added: "You also tried to lay the ground work for meeting up with her if that was possible."
Jamie Adams, defending, suggested a community-based sentence could be imposed to allow Ingram, who was also diagnosed with depression, to carry out the work needed.
Mr Adams said: "He is a man of good character. He's got no previous offending.
"He's brought up his family as best as he can."