Sick loner sent 'very explicit and quite revolting' messages to 'schoolgirl' during police sting

Jonathon Low thought he was chatting to a 14-year-old girl called Paige over Kik messenger but was having the explicit conversations with a law enforcement operative.

A judge has said the messages sent by the 50-year-old, between August 20 and September 15, 2018, were "very adult, very explicit and quite revolting".

When police examined Low's computer equipment after his arrest they found a collection of images of children being abused.

Low, who lives at home with his parents and has his mother as his carer, has been given a suspended jail sentence and must now register as a sex offender for a decade.

Newcastle Crown Court heard during the online conversations on the social messaging site, Low had told the teen profile "I'm your daddy" and asked if she had experimented with girls.

Prosecutor Paul Reid said Low had said he was "horny" during the explicit conversations and told her "daddy is naughty".

The court heard Low sent a picture of an adult female with her breasts exposed, discussed sexual activity and said their message exchanges must be deleted each day "for safety reasons".

After Low's arrest, a collection of 77 still images and movies of child abuse were recovered from his computer.

Low, of Front Street West, Penshaw, admitted three offences of making indecent photographs of children and one of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child.

Judge Amanda Rippon sentenced Low to 12 months imprisonment, suspended for two years, with rehabilitation requirements and a three month night time curfew.

He must sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order for ten years.

The judge said Low had led an "isolated" life due to medical problems which started when he was a small child.

Judge Rippon told him: "People who lead isolated lives are those that most often commit these kind of offences and they need to understand, just as anyone else does, how serious they are."

The judge said viewing of child abuse images creates a continued market for them and she told Low: "Every single child you looked at you made your victim."

Jamie Adams, defending, said Low, who lives with his parents and has his mother as his carer, is a "very vulnerable man himself" and is "socially inept" but has shown remorse.

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