Andrew Marriott 44

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A prison officer, former soldier and rugby coach, sent vile sex messages to a 14-year-old girl including telling her to “do what you are told”. Nottingham Crown Court heard how Andrew Marriott also asked for photographs of the victim in her school uniform, told her she “looked hot” and said he would book a hotel room for them both where they could have sex.

But unbeknown to the 44-year-old, the girl was actually a decoy pretending to be an underage teen and who contacted the police. Stephen Kemp, mitigating, said: “He served his country for five years in the army and has worked in the prison service for 14 years and it is clear he is a hard-working man.

“He has also given his time freely supporting a rugby team as a coach for four years. He has a supportive family and network and all of this makes it all the more shocking and inexplicable why he should act in the way that he did.

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“He has been a prison officer and after being remanded into custody it became apparent to others with whom he has been incarcerated and that has caused him difficulties. He said to me this morning that ‘every day is terrifying’ with people who recognise him being other inmates and he fears payback.”

Thomas Welshman, prosecuting, said over four days at the end of January and beginning of February this year, Marriott, of Wessington, near Alfreton, began communicating online with the decoy. He said within a very short space of time the messages they exchanged became sexualised and included the defendant asking her to touch herself, asking what her bra size was and suggesting they meet at a hotel.

The prosecutor said: “He said to her ‘with you not yet being 16 what we are talking about is illegal’ and he asked for a photo of her in her school uniform. He described to her in graphic detail what he would like to do to her.”

Mariott, of Brackenfield View, was arrested on February 19 and answered “no comment” to the questions he was asked, Mr Welshman said. But he later pleaded guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause or incite a child to engage in sexual activity. He has no previous convictions of any kind and his mother and step-father were in court to support him.

Jailing the defendant for two years and eight months, Judge Julie Warburton said: “The person you were speaking to made it clear she was 14 years of age and that did not deter you at all. Within a few, short, words, you told her you liked rough sex, asked her what she was wearing, told her to spread her legs and when she told you she was 14 you said to her ‘do as you are told’.

“The fact you have been a prison officer has made your life in custody more difficult because you live in fear of payback or retribution.”

As well as the jail term, the judge ordered Marriott to sign the sex offender register for life and handed him a lifetime sexual harm prevention order.