A pervert who was caught sending sexual messages to two ‘teenagers’ was arrested when he turned up to meet another decoy.

Liam Wood was instead met by a team of online paedophile hunters when he turned up at the Travelodge at Hartlepool Marina.

The 29-year-old was already under police investigation after he was arrested after sending sexual messages to another undercover decoy from a different online vigilante group.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the defendant was on bail at the time of the second offence when he sent more sexual messages.

Emma Atkinson, prosecuting, said the defendant was clearly told the age of the two decoys before he engaged in sexual communication, including sending images of his genitalia.

She said the defendant used a dating app to make contact with the decoy calling herself ‘Sammy Jo’ despite posing as a teenager.

“The messages became more intimate,” she said. “He started asking her about her pyjamas and indicating that he would like some company. She felt the communication became inappropriate as she had said from the outset, she was a teenager.

“The communication then turned sexual.”

The court heard how Wood was arrested after he sent her a picture of his genitalia before being released under investigation.

Miss Atkinson said the second offence started just a matter of weeks later before the communication became sexualised despite asking her if she was an undercover decoy from an online vigilante group.

He was arrested when another online group confronted him at the Travelodge in Hartlepool – he was not charged in relation to that incident, the court heard.

Wood, of Ellison Street, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to two charges of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child between October 31 last year and January 7, and again between April 7 and June 2 this year.

Richard Herrmann, mitigating, said his client had struggled with mental health issues but had only sought help professional help last year.

He added: “He has spent time in custody productively, he has a full-time job and has taken part in a peer mentoring role.

“He is determined to address his thinking and will do anything and take any help that could be offered to him.”

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Judge Francis Laird KC told the defendant that it was only his time on remand that saved him from an immediate prison sentence.

Sentencing Wood to ten months in custody suspended for 18 months, he said: “You turned the communication into about having sex and talked about having sex previously with a 16-year-old girl.”

Wood was ordered to attend 25 rehabilitation activity requirement days, told to sign on the sex offenders’ register for ten-years and made subject of a sexual harm prevention order for five years.

The judge added: “Had it not been for the time that you had spent in custody, it is highly unlikely that I would have taken this course that I have done.”