A BASINGSTOKE man has been handed a suspended prison sentence after being caught by a group of paedophile hunters when he sent sexual images to someone he thought was aged 14. 

Michael Smith, of Gardiner Road, in Sherborne St John, engaged in sexual discussions with someone he believed to be a 14-year-old boy and sent photos of a sexual nature.

The 58-year-old was in fact talking to an adult member of a paedophile hunter group, with members later confronting him.

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The defendant was charged with attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause a child aged 13 to 15 to watch or look at an image of sexual activity.

The court was told that Smith pleaded guilty to the offences earlier this year.

He appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday, October 13 and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, suspended for two years.

Prosecuting, James Kellan, said: “ This is a case of paedophile hunters and one which refers to themselves as an online protection unit.

"The defendant communicated via an app called Scruff which I am told is an app designed for men with a view to having sex with other men.

"They moved the chat to WhatsApp, using his ordinary phone number. As I said the online decoy was a 14-year-old boy."

He told the court a group called Innocent Voices was behind the profile.

The decoy profile informed Smith he was talking to a 14-year-old boy and then Smith made "a number of sexual suggestions" and tried to persuade the 'boy' to meet in Basingstoke.

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Kellan continued: "The group's leader, together with what is described as a security team, went to the defendant's home and they confronted him."

The court heard a video was live-streamed for 42 minutes during which Smith was accused of being "disgusting".

In mitigation, Laura Deuxberry told the court that Smith "is of good character" with no previous convictions.

In his sentencing, Judge Timothy Mousley KC, said: "This was a decoy profile. You contacted that person by social media and in fact that child was represented by them [the group] as being 14 and you sent indecent images to that child."

He continued: "You arranged to meet them, but not long after the police were involved in your activities."

A sexual harm prevention order was also imposed to last for 10 years.