Man who sent sexual messages to 15-year-old given community order and put on sex offender's register

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court yesterday (April 9) for repeatedly sending the 15-year-old solicitous messages in 2015.

The girl turned down his advances and stopped speaking to him. But when her mother found out she called the police.

He pleaded guilty to inciting sexual activity with a child aged under 16. In court, his defence barrister said there had been no sexual contact in the case and her 24-year-old client was "a very different person now".

The court heard that during the summer of 2015, the man sent the teenager a Facebook friend request after meeting her through a mutual friend.

Soon after, he messaged and offered to take her out on a date because she "had never been on one".

The two saw each other over the next month for dates to the cinema and to hang out. During this time, he told her he couldn't talk to anyone about seeing her because he would get in trouble.

But his online chatting grew more suggestive as they spent time together, until he began messaging her repeatedly over a few days that his flat was empty if she "wanted to come over", and outright asked for sex.

She told him she had no intention of sleeping with him. He replied: "Why are you being like this?... I gather you don't miss me then".

They stopped speaking. But soon after, the girl's parents' found out about the relationship and the police were called.

He later told police it was not his intention to sleep with her.

He was sentenced to 150 hours' unpaid work and a rehabilitation programme. He was also ordered to sign the sex offender's register for five years and cannot work with children.