A LONGTOWN man who is in his 50s communicated sexually with a person he believed was a 14-year-old boy.

During his perverted online chats, 52-year-old Kevin Wood twice sent the person pictures of his exposed private parts, unaware that he was actually communicating with an under-cover police officer.

At Carlisle Crown Court, the defendant admitted attempting to cause a child to watch images of sexual activity and attempting to communicate sexually with a child.

Prosecutor Maxwell Cope outlined the offending.

He said Cumbria Police began to investigate the defendant after receiving relevant intelligence about his online activities.

They recorded how Wood logged on to the dating site Gindr in June last year, believing that he was communicating with a 14-year-old boy. At one stage, the parties agreed to transfer their conversation on to Snapchat.

“The defendant continued to flirt and said that he [the contact] looked cute,” said Mr Cope, explaining that the conversation had turned sexual.

Wood twice sent the “boy” pictures of his penis during the exchanges, said the barrister. Mark Shepherd, defending, said it had been the under-cover officer who had suggested moving the conversation to Snapchat.

The lawyer said the officer’s messages had themselves been “slightly provocative and flirtatious.” Responding to that, Judge Nicholas Barker said adolescents do sometimes behave inappropriately.

But it was the adult’s responsibility to recognise that such children are not there to be abused.

Mr Shepherd said Wood, of Raeyfield, Longtown, should be distinguished from “predatory” online paedophiles.

Due to his family circumstances, the defendant had become somewhat isolated and, without attempting to excuse his behaviour, that sense of isolation may have contributed to his decision making.

Judge Barker told the defendant: “There can be no doubt at all as to how wrong you knew what you were doing was; you knew it was wrong.”

Judge Barker accepted that the defendant was remorseful but there was little doubt that Wood believed he was communicating with a 14-year-old child.

“Work clearly needs to be done with you,” added the judge.

He imposed a three-year community order with 10 rehabilitation activity days and a sexual offender treatment programme. The defendant was also told that he must complete 120 hours unpaid work.

The defendant will be on the Sex Offender Register for five years. The details of his sexual harm prevention order will be resolved in the coming weeks.