A pervert who shared a number of sickening sexualised messages with a 12-year-old girl was caught up in a police sting targeting online predators.

Neil Askew sent the undercover police officer a photograph of his genitals and asked her if she was interested.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the 48-year-old spent more than two weeks sending sexually explicit messages with who he thought was an underage girl called Issy.

Oliver Connor, prosecuting, said Askew was well aware of the age of the girl he believed he was talking to over the internet.

He added: “Issy sent him a massage asking if he was ok with her age and he responded ‘yes’. He requested she sent an image of herself and the conversation continued and he made a number of sexually inappropriate comments about his and her state of undress.”

Read more: Driver, 30, hit speeds of 100mph before clipping kerb and smashing into tree

Mr Connor said the conversation became more and more sexualised before Askew sent her a number of photos including one of is erect penis.

Askew, of Tyne Road, Redcar, pleaded guilty to one charge of attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child.

Nigel Soppitt, in mitigation, said nothing inappropriate was recovered from any of the six digital devices that were seized and searched by police and this was a ‘genuinely isolated offence’.

Recorder Paul Reid sentenced Askew to a three-year community order to address his offending.

He said: “Some of the messages were very troubling.”

Askew was ordered to attend 70 rehabilitation activity requirement days and was placed on an electronically monitored tag for four months between 7pm and 7am.

He will also have to sign on the sex offenders’ register for seven years.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated Teesside Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054