A PERVERT who became a registered sex offender after attempting to groom a young girl has been back in court after setting up social media accounts using false names.

Ransom Cubitt was caught with several different mobile phone apps on his devices, including encrypted networks Tik Tok and WhatsApp, under the username of Black Lizard 555 and Ranse.

The 49-year-old was barred from using aliases after he admitted inciting a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity while he was working as a school bus driver in 2006.

Since then he has breached the conditions of sexual offences protection order (SOPO) and the notification requirements on numerous occasions.

Teesside Crown Court heard how he was jailed for 21 months in 2008 for three breaches of the SOPO order.

Paul Rooney, prosecuting, said the defendant was caught breaching the order again in October last year when his mobile phone and other digital devices were inspected.

Mr Rooney told the court how the TikTok app enables users to delete images ten seconds after they have been seen – a clear breach of his court order.

He added: "The creation of two aliases on social media is of significant concern."

The court heard how when he was working as a bus driver he made a pass at a 12-year-old girl on a school run.

As a result of his conviction he was banned for life from working with children.

At the time, Teesside Crown Court heard how Cubitt gave her a card signed with kisses, containing £5 and a note saying: "If you want the kisses in the card to be real, just let me know."

Cubitt told police he initially had no sexual feelings for the girl, but things developed and he found her attractive.

Mr Rooney said Cubitt had breached the SOPO order on at least three occasions since its imposition.

Cubitt, of Shelley Crescent, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to breaching the court order.

Kelleigh Lodge, in mitigation, told the court that there was no evidence of anything unsavoury happening in the time her client had access to the mobile phone apps.

She said: "A number of devices were taken away for examination and nothing untoward was found on these devices.

"He is genuinely sorry for failing to register the two aliases. He wasn't thinking straight at the time and was suffering from depression and anxiety."

The Recorder of Middlesbrough Judge Paul Watson QC sentenced Cubitt to ten months custody, suspended for 18 months and ordered him to attend 40 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

He added: "In October it was found you had a number of troubling social media accounts, one of which had the facility of automatic deletion after ten seconds on Snapchat. It seems to me to be another intentional breach of the court order."