Iain Gosling 46

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Iain Gosling, of Wallsend, engaged in sickening sex chats online with what he thought were children but were in fact decoy profiles set up by police.

An online predator who targeted children for sex has walked free from court.

Iain Gosling spoke of taking 12 and 13-year-old girls to a hotel and sent a picture of his penis in sickening exchanges.

Fortunately the profiles he preyed upon were decoys being run by police so no children were harmed.

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Newcastle Crown Court heard he first communicated with what he thought was a 13-year-old called Hannah, on Fast Flirting, last September.

Having already asked a graphic sexual question, Gosling, who said he was 61 but who is in fact 43, was not deterred by her revelation of how young she was.

Vince Ward, prosecuting, said: "He discussed visiting her in his car and taking her shopping and to the cinema.

"He offered to buy her clothes that she could model for him.

"He said girls liked doing stuff with older people because older guys take their time."

He made a series of lewd remarks, suggested she should "go do stuff in my car somewhere quiet" and again said they should go to the cinema and shopping.

Mr Ward said: "He suggested booking a hotel somewhere where no-one would recognise them and suggested Southampton and Reading.

"He said he had booked a hotel in Reading for 150 to spend the day there but that he knew she would not be able to spend the night."

Gosling also said he would spend over 100 on one outfit for her and offered to take her to KFC and McDonald's.

Mr Ward added: "He asked if she would go all the way and reassured her it would not hurt as he would not be rough with her.

"He said she would not get pregnant because of his age."

Gosling went on to communicate with what he thought was a 12-year-old called Holly, who he sent a picture of his genitals and suggested they watch a movie in the cab of his lorry while lying down in the dark. He said he had "very naughty movies".

Around a week later he communicated with the same profile and suggested booking a hotel, shopping and watching a movie and made sexual remarks.

Gosling, of Percy Street, Wallsend, pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted sexual communication with a child and was sentenced to 15 months suspended for two years with a sexual harm prevention order and sex offender registration for 10 years.

Judge Edward Legard said Gosling couldn't complain if he sent him immediately to prison and said people would expect a deterrent sentence given the abhorrence with which such crimes are viewed . But he said he decided "by the narrowest margin" the public would be best served by a suspended sentence.

Shaun Routledge, defending, said: "His best point is his early guilty plea.

"He is in his 40s and of good character and has worked throughout his life and supports his daughter and ex partner.

"He turned to alcohol and his relationship broke down."