A self-confessed “pervert” and “paedophile” engaged in sexualised online conversations with what he believed to be at least three girls aged 12, over a three-week period.

But, unknown to Liam Hetherington, all three “girls” were decoy profiles set up by police undercover operatives, seeking to snare internet paedophiles.

Durham Crown Court heard that Hetherington, who was aged 23 at the time, used various social media networks to communicate with what he believed were young girls, ‘Jaq’, ‘Sophie’ and ‘Danni’, in January 2021.

Dr Chris Wood, prosecuting, said in each case the police officer purporting to be the respective “girls” made it clear to Hetherington “she” was aged 12.

The Northern Echo: Sex offender Liam Hetherington was in contyact with what he believed to be three 12-year-old girls

Despite that, over the 21 days, the conversations became increasingly sexualised, with Hetherington commenting on the girls’ bodies and culminating in him encouraging one to perform sex acts on herself, offering to send her a video of how to do it, or give her guidance himself.

He used “emotional blackmail” asking to see them shower and wanting them to provide him with “hot pictures”, as he told one that he gets, “lonely easily”.

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Hetherington even confessed in one message that he was attracted to young girls, demonstrating he was fully aware of their purported ages, saying he, “considered himself a pervert”.

He encouraged one to become “more perverted”, indicating he hoped to meet her at a later date.

Dr Wood said police went to the defendant’s home on February 20, 2021, and arrested him, removing computer devices which were examined and found to contain thousands of indecent images of children.

These included 1,202, 506 of them videos, in the most serious category, plus 115 prohibited images and 49 classed as, “extreme pornography”, featuring scenes of bestiality.

Dr Wood said after his arrest, Hetherington gave what was considered, “a significant statement”, saying, “it’s about another child, isn’t it?

“That’s the girl I’ve been talking to.”

He admitted talking online to a girl, saying he believed she was 13, claiming he, “really liked her and wanted to meet her later”, adding that he had made a sex joke to her.

When interviewed he made admissions over the various allegations put to him, conceding he was attracted to young girls, and having gone onto the “dark web” to seek out images of children, as he would be aroused by them.

He claimed he was not interested in anyone under the age of nine, but confirmed he would call himself, “a paedophile”.

Dr Wood said some of the defendant’s requests when searching for the material from like-minded individuals implied he liked viewing images featuring younger children.

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Investigators also discovered he had also used a browser capable of concealing internet activity, in which he had used paedophilic search terms in seeking illicit material.

Appearing at a plea hearing, last month, the now 26-year-old defendant, of Cleveland Avenue, Chester-le-Street, admitted attempting to cause or incite a child under 13 to engage in sexual activity, attempted sexual communication with a child, making indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of children and possessing extreme pornographic images.

Gary Wood, in mitigation, said the defendant was aware of the seriousness of his offending and that only a term of immediate custody would follow.

Mr Wood said the defendant, who has no previous convictions, made admissions when interviewed in 2021, and did not try to minimise his offending when interviewed by the Probation Service, “showing an unusual candour”.

He said Hetherington has voluntarily undertaken work with an agency to address his behaviour, “acknowledging he has a problem”.

Mr Wood said given the time since his arrest and interview, the inevitable sentence of imprisonment has been, “hanging over” the defendant for the last two-and-a-half years.

He added that it was a decoy case and no actual 12-year-old girl was, “at the other end of the conversation”.

Judge Jo Kidd told Mr Wood that current sentencing guidelines indicate there can be little or no reduction in sentence when there is no actual victim.

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Imposing a total 46-month prison sentence (three-years and ten-months), Judge Kidd told the defendant he was, “manipulative” in his use of language and messaging, which she said: “Provides an over-view of your persistence to satisfy your obvious sexual interest in very young children.”

She said despite his claims to police, “you were, clearly, interested in pre-pubescent girls”, borne out by the “extensive” collection of indecent images discovered by police investigators.

Hetherington was also made subject of both a Sexual Harm Prevention Order, and notification requirements as a sex offender, in each case, “until further order”.