A SCHOOLGIRL was groomed on Facebook before being persuaded to send a pervert explicit pictures of herself - with the promise of £1.

Aaron Crawley, 18, became besotted with the youngster and sent her flattering messages when she had low self-esteem, a court heard.

Crawley demanded pictures of the girl in her underwear and then asked for her to video herself in a sex act and send them to him.

Judge Peter Armstrong, at Teesside Crown Court, told the Hartlepool teenager that children needed to be protected from on-line predators.

He was given a 16-month suspended jail sentence and was put on a course called 'the adapted citizenship programme for sex offenders'.

Judge Armstrong told him: "That package should ensure that you do not commit any offence like this again . . . this was serious.

"The talking to young girls in a sexual manner over the internet is all too common, and it is extremely difficult for families to police.

"Youngsters have ready access to computers, tablets and phones so there has to be an element of protection of them for their own good, however willing they may be to get involved with someone older. No doubt she felt flattered at a time when she was self-conscious."

The court heard that Crawley suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after seeing his father badly beaten by men armed with guns when he was ten.

He sobbed as Judge Armstrong also referred to his mother's death when he was 13, his mild learning difficulties, and his special education.

The judge told him: "Prison or a detention centre is the last place to do you any good, but there may be no avoiding it if you are foolish enough to reoffend.

"You turned your attention to someone younger because of an attitude that you feel unlikely to form a relationship with someone your own age.

"That sort of distorted thinking needs to be addressed . . . I think you have learned your lesson."

Crawley, of Stockton Street, Hartlepool, admitted inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, causing child pornography, and making and possessing indecent photographs.

Stephen Constantine, mitigating, said there was no physical contact between the pair, after the court heard there were 13 downloaded pictures, and nine sent by the girl.