Latest Offenders Worcester

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A PAEDOPHILE carried out sex attacks against a child when she was just four years old and had more than 3,000 indecent images of children.

Matthew Churchill sexually assaulted the girl from the age of four and also made (downloaded) indecent images of children at category A - the worst level within the sentencing guidelines.

The 32-year-old appeared before Worcester Magistrates Court yesterday (Thursday) where he admitted a string of child sex offences - nine in total.

He pleaded guilty to assaulting a girl aged under 13 'on multiple occasions' by touching her between August 7, 2017 and August 7, 2019; making indecent images of children at category A (32 moving and still images) between July 14, 2017 and September 8, 2019 making indecent images at category B (65 moving and still images) between July 23, 2017 and September 8, 2019; making indecent images at category C (229 moving and still images) between April 10, 2017 and September 8, 2019; possessing 3,036 extreme images of a child between May 30, 2015 and September 8, 2019; possessing an extreme pornographic image (269 images) involving sex with dead animals between October 29, 2011 and September 8, 2019; causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity on February 4, 2012; assaulting a girl by touching on the same date; taking an indecent video of a child on the same date.

Ralph Robyns-Landricombe, prosecuting, said the girl, who cannot be identified, had made a disclosure to her mother about the defendant's behaviour and he was arrested.

"Devices were seized by police on arrest and disturbing images were also found" he said.

The prosecutor also said a sexual harm prevention order and deprivation order would undoubtedly follow the conviction.

"The Crown would ask that these matters be committed for sentence to the crown court" said Mr Robyns-Landricombe.

"These are extremely serious offences" he told the court.

He said the sentence for a single charge of causing or inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity was between one and four years in custody as laid out in the sentencing guidelines.

The case was adjourned until October 14 for a further hearing at Worcester Crown Court.

"These offences are so serious that you need greater punishment than we can give" said the chairman of the bench.

As a convicted sex offender, Churchill, of Glanford, Hanley Swan, near Worcester, was told he would have to register at his nearest police station as soon as possible and within 72 hours.

Bail was granted on condition Churchill remains in residence at his address, that he does not enter an address provided to him by the court, that he does not attend a school (details provided to the defendant by the court) and that he is not to have contact with any child under 18 except in the normal course of daily life.

He was also told not to contact, directly or indirectly, any prosecution witnesses.

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A CONVICTED paedophile from Worcester who was caught by an online group of hunters has been ensnared again just two months after he was sentenced.

Online paedophile hunters from a group called Innocent Voices confronted Ian Pursall in a video streamed on Facebook and viewed more than 50,000 times.

Pursall had already been convicted of attempted sexual communication with a child in February after being caught by a different group of online hunters form a group known as "Leave Our Kids Alone"

In the video, released on April 24, Pursall can be seen being held by the arms by two of the group as a third, a woman, announces why they are there.

They accuse him of communicating with a child decoy, which is an adult pretending to be a child in an online chatroom.

Pursall initially tries to deny the allegations, but the hunters call for the police and the 40-minute long video ends with them saying the police are on their way to arrest him.

A West Mercia Police spokesman confirmed they had arrested a man in Worcester on that day. They said: “A 38-year-old man from Worcestershire was arrested on April 24 on suspicion of breach of a sexual harm prevention order.

"He has been released on bail while we investigate the online incident which took place on 24 April.

Pursall is already a convicted paedophile, having been sentenced in February for the same offence.

In that case, he had been confronted by a group called “Leave Our Kids Alone”.

He was convicted at Worcester Magistrates Court on February 25 where he was given a six-month prison sentence suspended for two years.

In addition, he was made subject to a seven year sexual harm prevention order.

Under this order, he was banned from:

Using any device capable of accessing the internet or storing images unless it has the capacity to retain and display internet usage history, that this function is enabled at all times, and that this function is enabled at all times.

He also must not delete any of his internet history and be able to show it to police when requested.

He was also banned from changing any of his passwords and had to submit all electronic devices for police Visor management, should they request it.

In a post on the Innocent Voices Facebook page, the group said: “Ian from Worcester, stung by us on April 24, 2021 and arrested for breach of his sexual harm prevention order.

“Ian was previously sentenced in February 2021 for sexual communication with a child.

“We also handed fresh new evidence in regarding further sexual communication with a child and he also sent sexual images and videos of himself and badgered her for indecent images.

“He also wanted to meet the child for sex. Well done to LOKA (Leave Our Kids Alone) for the previous conviction, let’s hope he gets an actual prison sentence now if not at least he’s been exposed.”

In the video, the hunters ask Pursall why he used a false name (Michael Cade) when speaking to children online.

In response, he tried to claim the name was a nickname.

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Following an investigation by West Mercia Police, a man has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for historic charges of child sexual offences, that took place in Worcester.

Simon Clancy, aged 44 previously of Teme Road, Worcester was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Thursday 11 March. He was found guilty of nine sexual offences during a two week trial that finished on Thursday 10 December 2020, he was found guilty by jury of:

Seven counts indecent assault on a boy under the age of 14-years-old.

Two counts gross indecency with a boy under the age of 14-years-old.

The offences on three boys all occurred in 1992. Clancy was originally interviewed in April 2019.

He has also been registered as a sex offender.

 Following the sentence Detective Constable Nerys Stevens said: "I am pleased that the sentence reflects the severity of these crimes and hope this helps provide some closure to the victims of these horrific crimes."

"The victims have all been extremely brave throughout the process in providing evidence during interviews and in court proceedings. Hopefully, this serves as a reminder and deterrent to offenders that we are absolutely committed to bringing those responsible of crimes to justice, even when it is some 10+ years later, like in this instance."

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A lot of SICK city pervert who had vile sexual images of children as young as two being raped is now behind bars after costing taxpayers 'thousands'.

Depraved Joshua Bone of Worcester dragged his heels, admitting downloading the 'ghastly' images from the 'dark web' before attempting to deny responsibility, even instructing 'experts' in a cynical attempt to escape justice.

As a result, it has taken four years from the date of his offences to his final admissions and sentence at Worcester Crown Court yesterday, prevarication which has cost the taxpayer 'thousands' and at a time when the public purse is already under huge strain during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright, who jailed him for 50 weeks, said Bone's actions in the 'protracted history' of the case showed his lack of remorse and that he could not be rehabilitated in the community, sending him straight to jail instead.

The 29-year old of Toulouse Drive, Norton, Worcester admitted making 21 indecent images of children at category A, the worst kind, between February 17 and April 17, 2017.

He also admitted making two indecent images at category B and three at category C. All but two images were videos rather than stills, an aggravating feature of the case as were the number of children being abused and the ages of the children, described as 'so desperately young and vulnerable' by the judge.

Judge Cartwright described some of the films in open court, details which are too graphic to report in full. He told the court some of the videos were around an hour long with titles like 'Lolita' and 'four-year-old' and showed children suffering penetrative sexual abuse.

One video recorded the rape of a two-year-old girl and another showed a girl of 10 tied to a bench and being sexually assaulted. Some showed children being abused by more than one adult and others displayed compilations of different children being molested.

The children being abused were aged two, four, six, 10, 11 and 13 years old.

The defendant, who showed no emotion when he learned he was going to prison, said himself in interview: "It's the dark web for a reason - it's horrible."

Judge Cartwright said: "The offences relating to the viewing, making or distribution of these sorts of images is always regarded as so serious because these are real children against whom the most dreadful sexual offences, such as those I have just described, are actually being carried out and filmed so that these films can be circulated to people who have an interest in viewing such things."

The judge also spoke of the physical and psychological harm caused to children by such abuse. He told Bone they grow up knowing the 'ghastly offences committed against them will be out there on the internet for all time, for the whole of the rest of their lives and beyond'.

He also said that without men like Bone downloading these images there would be no demand and it was the demand which drove the supply and therefore fuelled the abuse.

Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, said the matter came to court following a search of Bone's home in July 2017 following a police investigation into a website known as Paradise Village.

During that search officers seized a Dell computer tower where the images were found. Mr Wilkins said: "He was interviewed about the matter in July and October 2017. The proceedings started in April 2018. It has taken a very long time to get to this stage."

The starting point in the sentencing guidelines is a year's custody with a range available to the sentencing judge of between 26 weeks and three years.

Daniel Oscroft, defending, asked Bone to be given credit for his guilty pleas. "I concede on his behalf that it's late" he said.

He said: "At that time the defendant's life was falling apart. He was abusing drink and drugs. He had a poisonous relationship with his family and his partner left him."

Judge Cartwright ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the computer tower which contained the images. He also ordered Bone to pay a 2,000 contribution towards costs because of the large number of hearings, caused because the defendant declined to admit his guilt.

The judge told him: "This represents only a small fraction of the total cost to the taxpayer because the court has obviously been involved on all these occasions and a significant sum has been expended upon what turned out to be totally unnecessary expert reports that have been pursued and pursued by you despite the fact that, when you were first interviewed about this matter, you admitted that you had viewed the images on your computer."

This amount must be paid back over two years. Judge Cartwright also imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years. This restricts Bone's use of the internet and devices and his contact with children.

For example he must make any devices available to a monitoring police officer on request for inspection, must not delete his search history or install anti-forensic software or use social media to contact any child under the age of 16.

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A man has been sentenced to 24 years for child sex offences.

Darren Wheatley was given the sentence on Tuesday, 22 December, at Worcester Crown Court after he had been found guilty on Friday 18 December.

The 55 year old, from Lion Street, Kidderminster, had been charged with 20 offences of rape of a child under 13 and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

The sentencing follows an investigation by Kidderminster CID.

Detective Sergeant Iain Standing said: “This was an especially disturbing case and I’m pleased this man will now face a considerable amount of time in prison for his vile actions.

“It has taken great courage and bravery for his victims to come forward and face the personal challenges of a trial.

“I also hope this conviction will provide reassurance to other victims of sexual offences, giving them the confidence to report their ordeal in the knowledge that they will be listened to and supported. Police will always investigate and do everything in their power to bring offenders like this to justice.”

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Christopher Postans had unsupervised contact with children by the Elgar Statue in Worcester which breached the terms of a sexual harm prevention order designed to safeguard city children.

The 43-year-old of Ombersley Road, Worcester, was jailed for four months by Judge James Burbidge QC at the city's crown court on Thursday.

The breach happened when the registered sex offender had unsupervised contact with children near the Elgar statue in Worcester High Street before going to Starbucks on July 23 this year.

We have previously reported how Postans used the internet to groom girls and tried to meet one in a Malvern park so he could assault her.

Christopher Postans appeared at Worcester Crown Court via videolink from HMP Hewell last June where he admitted sexual communication with children, all young girls.

Then living at Longridge Road, Malvern, he admitted three counts of sexual communication with three different underage victims.

Postans tried to meet one of the girls in Victoria Park, Malvern, with the aim of sexually assaulting her. The first offence happened between April 1 and May 24 last year in Malvern when Postans attempted to communicate with a girl under 16 via Instagram.

Postans admitted two similar offences of sexual communication against two further victims and an ‘attempt to meet a child following sexual grooming’ on more than one occasion.

This involved an attempt to meet a girl aged 14 (one of the three victims already referred to) in Victoria Park, Malvern which would have involved the commission of a relevant sexual offence, namely a sexual assault.

He was jailed last July at Hereford Crown Court yesterday.

Andrew Wilkins, prosecuting, said the defendant messaged a girl of 13 on Instagram, describing a photo he believed was of her bottom as ‘a nice picture’, a comment she told him was 'inappropriate'. Postans attempted to meet her on April 16 last year at 11pm, telling her 'you don’t need to be scared - I just want to talk' and 'kiss me'.

The girl replied 'I'm 13 though'. Postans responded: "'Would you let me?”

Postans sent a topless photo of himself to another underage girl, also 13, which she said ‘made her feel really uncomfortable’.

Postans communicated with a third 13-year-old girl about ‘being naughty and smacking bums’, sending her his topless photo. However, the first victim, the one Postans had tried to meet in the park, told her father what had been happening, police were called and the defendant was arrested. In interview Postans made ‘limited admissions’ but denied any sexual motivation.

In 2003 Postans met with a 14-year-old girl he had contacted via an internet chat room, having penetrative sex with her.

The defendant, sentenced in 2005, received a community rehabilitation order and later breached the notification requirements.

Jailing him last July, Recorder Jason MacAdam said: “This is familiar territory for you. You have done this sort of thing before some considerable time ago."

He added: “The fact is you’re a paedophile. You’re sexually attracted to children. I have no doubt whatsoever if you had met any of these children you would have abused them in the same way you abused your victim in the past.”

Last July the judge had jailed him for 27 months, imposed a sexual harm prevention order for 10 years and ordered him to sign the sex offender register for the same period.

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Nathan Stanley, aged 22, from Bromsgrove was sentenced to four years in prison at Worcester Crown Court earlier this week and will remain on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life. He had pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual activity with a child and one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Stanley was also subjected to an eight-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order. West Mercia Police has now released an image of the then 19-year-old following his arrest on May 12, 2017. The smirking, ruffled haired suspect was brought in for questioning after a victim came forward.

Investigating officers subsequently identified a number of other vulnerable children who had fallen prey to his devious acts. Today their bravery in coming forward and help to put Stanley behind bars was commended by Detective Lisa Duncan who expressed hope it may encourage other victims of similar crimes to speak out.

She said: "I would like to pay tribute to the excellent work by my officers in dealing with this case and tracing a number of the victims involved. Moreover, I want to pay tribute to the courage and bravery of every single victim in coming forward to provide evidence of Mr Stanley’s offending.

“I hope this case encourages other victims to speak out against those who have abused them in order to gain the justice they deserve and prevent further dangerous offending. We want victims to know that we will always treat their reports seriously, they will be listened to and we will do all we can to bring them the justice they are owed."

The officer also issued a warning to parents about the dangers of their children using the internet on the back of the case. Det Insp Duncan added: "Stanley is a predator who preyed on vulnerable members of our community and has rightly been brought to justice.

"He targeted children using false profiles on social media platforms and incited children to engage in sexual communications and activity which he knew was wrong both morally and legally."

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AN EVESHAM man has been jailed after a police investigation into historic sexual abuse which dated back to the 1970s.

Kevin Friend, 60 of Weston Road was sentenced to nine years behind bars when he appeared at Guildford Crown Court on Friday (August 23).

The offences were reported to police when three different victims came forward a decade later.

One of the victims said in her impact statement: This stopped me moving forwards and I have lived in limbo until now.

Im just hoping that after this case is finished I can actually finally put this to bed.

Ive just moved on now I am the age that I am and Ive learnt to live with what happened.

Friend was convicted of two counts of indecent assault against two victims, which occurred when they were under 16, a sexual assault on an adult and a multiple count of indecent assault following an earlier hearing on 26 July. He was found not guilty of a further seven counts of indecent assault.

Friend targeted one of his victims, who was aged 14 at the time, between 1977 and 1979 with indecent assaults taking place in Chertsey. He was convicted of an indecent assault charge and a multiple count of indecent assault in relation to offences against the first victim.

The 60-year-old was convicted of indecently assaulting his second victim, who was aged 10 at the time, in Camberley between 1987 and 1990.

He was further convicted of sexually assaulting his third victim, a 22-year-old woman, in Evesham between 2004 and 2005.

Det Con Sharron Goodchild said: I would like to praise the victims for having the courage to speak out and ensure Friend was brought to justice for these heinous crimes.

We would not be where we are today without the resilience and bravery of the victims during our investigation. I hope that Friend being found guilty, as well as the sentence imposed today, will allow them to put this behind them and finally move on with their lives.

I also hope this will encourage others in a similar position to come forward and report it to us we will always carry out a full investigation, no matter how long ago the offences were committed.

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A PAEDOPHILE from Worcester who sexually abused a boy and had hundreds of indecent images of children is now behind bars.

Michael Beckley of Warndon, Worcester, carried out sexual assaults against the boy, aged just six, in a bedroom and then told him 'it's our secret'.

The 35-year-old admitted two counts of assaulting the same boy under the age of 13 years by touching, two counts of making indecent images of children and one of possessing prohibited images of children.

One of the assaults happened between December 24, 2017 and January 7 last year and the second on January 22 last year. Because of the assaults officers seized Beckley's phone and laptop which revealed he had been viewing illegal images of children for four years.

On those devices, which the court ordered to be destroyed, police found indecent images of children - 18 at category B, 181 at category C and 352 prohibited images of children.

Beckley made these indecent images between July 1, 2014 and November 27, 2017.

Beckley was jailed for 16 months at Worcester Crown Court.

Mr Beckley will be on the Sex Offenders Register for 10 years which will involve him being closely monitored upon his release from prison.

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A HIGH risk sex offender who indecently assaulted a three-year-old girl in a supermarket has been spared jail despite repeatedly flouting court orders imposed to protect children.

Keith Holloway of Worcester thrust his exposed genitals against the girl, filmed under the skirts of young women and offered a girl of eight an ice pop, telling her she was 'beautiful' and inviting her to use his new shower.

But the 65-year-old was not sent to jail by Judge Nicholas Cole at Worcester Crown Court because the most recent breach of his sexual harm prevention order was deemed too 'minor' and because his defence barrister argued that prison would be 'crushing'.

It is the fourth time Holloway has breached the same order since it was imposed in September 15, 2017. Three breaches involved his possession of devices (phone or laptop) with cameras and the most serious involved the befriending of a child (the eight-year-old girl).

Holloway, of Back Lane South, Barbourne, failed to tell his offender manager he had bought a new mobile phone fitted with a camera and was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court on Wednesday.

Although he is permitted to have a mobile phone he did not inform his offender manager he had bought a new one after breaking the old one by dropping it into a sink full of water.

Holloway, who walked with a stick, lowered his head in the dock, covered his face with his hands and at one stage dabbed his eyes with a tissue.

The mobile phone was discovered during an unannounced visit to his home on July 5 last year by his offender manager. He bought it in Argos on June 13 that year.

Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, described the defendant's previous convictions.

The first dates back to 1984 for sending an obscene article in the post.

Holloway was jailed for 51 months on February 7, 2003 for indecent assault on a female under 16. Mr Aspinall said Holloway had approached a three-year-old girl in the corner of a supermarket and began 'thrusting his pelvis' into her.

"He was grabbed by the mother. His penis was exposed. Being confronted he began crying and saying he shouldn't have done it," said Mr Aspinall.

On that occasion Holloway was detained until police arrived to arrest him.

He received a sentence of nine months in prison suspended for two years for outraging public decency on October 15, 2007 after he used the camera on his mobile phone to photograph young women under their skirts.

"They were unaware of his activity but a passing member of the public reported it to police," said Mr Aspinall.

Holloway was made subject to a sexual offences prevention order for 10 years but breached that on December 14, 2016 when police discovered during a routine visit that the defendant had a tablet which had a camera facility.

He was fined for this offence on August 24, 2017. As a result of a further breach Holloway was made subject to a sexual harm prevention order which was due to last until October 15, 2027.

When Holloway was visited again by police they found he had a mobile phone with video and camera facility in his hallway which led to a seven month prison sentence, suspended for 24 months on March 6, 2018.

He also befriended a girl of eight, giving her 2 to buy some sweets and also gave her ice pops, telling the girl's mother her daughter was 'beautiful' and inviting her and her daughter to use his newly installed shower unit, Mr Aspinall told the court. Holloway told police he did not think it was a breach of the order because the girl's mother was present. Mr Aspinall described the breaches as 'persistent'.

Jamie Scott, defending, said his client had provided medical evidence that he had been discharged from hospital after a fall, had heart palpitations, suffered from low potassium levels and was on 17 different forms of medication.

Mr Scott described possession of the phone as 'a relatively minor breach' and that it did not represent an escalation of matters.

He said: "It's a breach I hope can be characterised as an honest mistake. I ask for full credit for his guilty plea.

"It's plain immediate custody would have a crushing effect on someone who is obviously a frail and unwell man."

He argued that Holloway's accommodation was 'a stabilising force' in his life and that he would stand to lose that if he was jailed, a view shared by the probation liaison officer.

His offender manager advised the judge that Holloway was managed as 'a high risk'.

Judge Cole said Holloway had 'a history of disobedience to court orders' but this latest breach was 'minor' and that, because of the defendant's health issues, it would be 'unjust' to activate the suspended sentence.

Judge Cole sentenced him to a 12-month community order with up to 20 rehabilitation activity days. He imposed a fine of 1,000 and ordered him to pay 350 costs. Both must be discharged within 28 days.

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A PAEDOPHILE who offered to 'share' his own unborn baby with other perverts has walked free from court today despite distributing 'revolting' images of young children being abused.

At the time that Nathan Green, 25, was caught by police, his partner was expecting their child and because of what he said to other paedophiles on line his baby was taken into foster care at birth.

Green, formerly of Cross Close in Cirencester, but now of Broad Street in Bromsgrove, admitted distributing and possessing illegal images of children at the worst level, A, as well as in the B and C categories.

Judge Michael Harington sentenced him at Gloucester Crown Court to a two-year jail term suspended for 18 months.

He also ordered him to undergo a community sex offender group programme and a 30-day rehabilitation activity programme.

Green, who was working in a shop in the Duke of Gloucester army barracks in South Cerney at the time of his offending, was placed on the sex offender register for 10 years. A sexual harm prevention order was also made against him.

Prosecutor James Bromige said police arrested Green at his place of work on March 6 this year as a result of intelligence about him sharing paedophile images online.

He called himself 'Crazer49' and in his profile information he wrote 'Young Incest Fun. Have child on the way. Will share."

Mr Bromige said police found 41 still images and two videos at category A on Green's computer hard drive, 62 images and two videos at category B and 202 stills and two videos at category C.

Interviewed twice by police, Green declined to comment.

Mr Bromige said that on chatlogs involving other paedophiles Green was asking about, and being asked for, images of very young children.

He asked one user 'Do you like child?' and another 'Are you into young children?'

"His own child has been born since this and has gone into foster care," Mr Bromige said.

"The defendant has made no offer to assist the police in any further enquiries to find any of the children involved, where the images came from and the identities of the other users. He is of previous good character."

Jonathan Lewis, defending, handed the court references from Green's parents and partner. He said Green 'enjoys their support notwithstanding his offending."

Since being charged, Green had been open and honest about his perversions and was already partway through a sex offender course, Mr Lewis said.

His partner and his father have also been taking courses to learn how to help him with his problems, he added.

"The root of his offending was his sense of isolation and loneliness and his indulgence in this online community," he said.

Judge Harington told Green the images he had been collecting and distributing were 'revolting.'

"The real seriousness of offences such as this is that actual children have to undergo or be involved in performing these revolting acts in order for the stills and videos to be made," he said.

"A prison sentence is inevitable in this case but I am prepared to suspend it."

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A KIDDERMINSTER man sentenced to 15 months custody for sex offences against a 13-year-old girl will be released in a few weeks, Worcester Crown Court was told.

For Thomas Lloyd-Perks had been held on remand in a young offenders institution waiting for his case to come before the court, said his barrister Abigail Nixon.

The 20-year-old, of Worcester Road, had pleaded guilty in September last year to sexual activity with the girl and taking indecent photographs of her genitals.

He was ordered to sign the sex offender register for 10 years. Judge Robert Juckes QC also made a sexual harm prevention order banning Lloyd-Perks from contact with any child under the age of 16 for five years.

Siobhan Collins, prosecuting, said Lloyd-Collins was only 17 in 2012 when he met the girl, who was to become his victim, at an activity group. She lost interest in the group but he continued to bombard her with messages on Facebook. At one stage he invited her to go to the nightclub where he said he was earning 150,000 a year.

Her mother had tried to block the friendship and said he could only come to the house after 5pm when she was there. But Lloyd-Perks continued sexual talk and the pair met in secret. He persuaded her to strip so that he could tell whether she was "a girl or a woman" and also took pictures of her private parts.

When she told her mother what had happened, the police were informed and analysis of his phone disclosed the pictures he had taken. In an impact statement the girl said she had been made to feel gullible.

Miss Nixon, mitigating, submitted references and said Lloyd-Perks was of good character and was well-supported by his family. He was regarded as an ideal prisoner while in custody and had been a pleasure to teach on a mentoring course.

Judge Juckes said Lloyd-Perks had been a very manipulative young man who had taken advantage of a 13-year-old girl. There was always the danger that pictures taken in private could get into the social media.