South Tyneside man placed on sex offenders register after chatting sexually online with a decoy schoolgirl

But Darren Reynolds, 37, was easily unmasked when he sent a second photo of himself naked from the waist up on social media site RandoChat.

Reynolds, of Claypit Close, near River Drive, South Shields, was in fact communicating with undercover police over 24 hours in September, leading to his arrest on a child sex charge.

Deputy District Judge Arlagh Davies told him she was concerned by his sexual interest in what he believed was a schoolgirl – and jailed him for nine months, suspended for two years.

Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to being an adult attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, was also placed on the sex offender register and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Prosecutor Mike Lawson said: “The defendant was in communication, unbeknown to him, with police in regard of online child exploitation.

“On September 26 a police officer logged on to the Rondo Chat site and received a message from the defendant.

“A conversation developed whereby it’s disclosed to the defendant initially that it was an 18-year-old female.

“He was then in communication with what he thought was a girl of 12 years of age.

‘He sent two pictures, one of a male wearing glasses and a Batman t-shirt. The same male also posted an image of him in a towel on his lower half and naked from the top up.

“The conversation has continued through to September 27. He asks to meet up and asks numerous times through the chat for photos of the child.

“The aggravating factors are the chat that was going on, the sexual references and photos requested by the defendant.”

Joanne Gatens, defending, said: “He stopped messaging when he got up on the 27th and realised it was wrong.

“He accepts that the evidence is very clear. There’s no evidence that he went on there to target anyone under 18.

“This was a very significant error of judgement on Mr Reynolds’ part. I think it was more bravado, there was no intention to take it past that.”

Reynolds, who the court heard is married, must also complete 30 rehabilitation days and 35 sessions on the Horizons programme, which aims to deter sex offending.

He must pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.

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